"Huh?"
After listening to Su Min's words, Lin Yao felt her entire body tremble. This was too terrifying—an entire realm had been completely devoured.
This couldn't even be described as horrifying anymore. If the so-called "god" those people spoke of was such an existence, she could already foresee what would happen to this planet.
"Should I go ask for help?"
"No."
"Hmm?"
"The strongest person here is only at the Divine Transformation mid-stage. They're completely incapable of fighting against such an existence."
"Ah..."
Hearing Su Min's words, Lin Yao could only shrink her neck slightly. Indeed, they hadn't been able to deal with that monster back then. Now that she had reached this level, she also knew the full details of what had happened. So she naturally understood the terror of those unknown beings. But if all that awaited was despair, no one knew what might happen.
"Don't speak a word of what happened today. Just carry on as usual. It seems the Kirin is connected to them. Honestly, dealing with such a creature now would be troublesome... sigh..."
As she spoke, Su Min couldn't help but rub her temples in frustration. But her words made one thing clear to Lin Yao—Su Min intended to take action herself. In that case, there really was no need to say anything. After all, no one knew what desperate people might do, and it could easily alert the enemy.
Su Min had always adhered to the principle of either not acting at all or striking with a single, fatal blow. Unless circumstances forced her hand, she could endure until the right moment.
"Just do what you need to do. Your task for me is pretty much complete. You're now a Golden Core cultivator, and that ring is still intact. There's nothing more I need to say."
If this had been the Lin Yao of the past, Su Min would have placed restrictions on her. Not because she didn't trust her, but because she had been too inexperienced back then. Now, however, things were different. With a Golden Core cultivation and having survived the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, she had undoubtedly matured enough in both strength and mindset.
"Understood."
Hearing Su Min's words, Lin Yao could only smile bitterly. The meaning was clear—she was still too young and, for the time being, unqualified to participate in matters of this level. In fact, not just her, but the entire world was the same. But just as the atmosphere grew heavy, a rapid knocking came from outside the door.
Bang, bang, bang!
The urgent knocking shattered the tense mood inside. Lin Yao glanced at Su Min in confusion, as the latter was currently sitting cross-legged on her bed.
She had no idea how Su Min had silently entered this heavily guarded fortress, but it was clear she didn't want to be seen. Yet, seeing how calm Su Min remained, Lin Yao opened the door. The last time Su Min had freeloaded at her place, her parents hadn't been able to see her at all.
As for Su Min's nonchalance, it was justified—the person outside was just a Foundation Establishment junior. There was no need to worry; they wouldn't be able to see her.
"Instructor Lin Yao, a coastal area about 300 kilometers from here has been attacked by Filth Beasts. Reports indicate the presence of one equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator. Right now, you're the most suitable person in the fortress to handle this."
"Leave it to me."
Looking at the messenger and the mission file, Lin Yao nodded without another word. Having survived the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, even in Su Min's era of Golden Core cultivators, she would have been considered a dominant force.
Even though she was only at the early Golden Core stage, her combat power already surpassed many late Golden Core cultivators. She could easily crush those Filth Beasts and even hold her own against a Nascent Soul existence.
"Uh..."
Watching the messenger leave, Lin Yao glanced back at Su Min. The latter had already made herself at home, opening the fridge, taking out a bottle of ice-cold cola and a bunch of snacks, then settling down with a laptop.
"..."
Seeing that Su Min had no interest in the matter, Lin Yao could only shake her head helplessly before rushing out. Soon after reaching an open area, she summoned her flying sword, stepped onto it, and vanished from the fortress, disappearing into the distance.
Meanwhile, Su Min browsed through various contents with great interest.
"Tsk tsk, this world isn't having it easy either."
She couldn't help but mutter to herself. Having just entered the Dao Comprehension stage, there was no immediate need for her to focus on cultivation. Her progress wouldn't improve drastically in a short time, and if things really went south, she could always flee.
Tian Hao had already taken her essence blood back, which would serve as a beacon—allowing her to return at any time. As for this world's entertainment, while it couldn't captivate her as it once might have, it was still enjoyable to browse through.
Meanwhile, outside...
Lin Yao stood atop her flying sword, speeding through the sky. At the Golden Core stage, her speed was already incredibly fast—far surpassing the need for the slightly complicated flight procedures of this world.
That was why there weren't many fighter jets here. Cultivators of her level had no use for them. But today, as she flew, something unexpected happened—
Whoosh!
In mid-flight, Lin Yao suddenly jolted, swerving sharply to the side. At the same time, a dark, cursed blade slashed through the air where she had just been. Had she reacted even a fraction slower, she would have been killed instantly.
But the next moment, her expression darkened.
She had been surrounded.
By three people.
"Three Nascent Soul cultivators at once? You really think highly of me."
Her eyes swept over the figures encircling her, and her face turned grim. Their black robes made their origins obvious. And they had sent three people.
Three Nascent Soul cultivators—she couldn't tell their exact stages, but this was already beyond her limits. At that moment, the three simultaneously took out magical treasures, sealing her in place.
"There's a traitor?"
Lin Yao's expression grew even colder. It was clear what had happened. The mission order had followed proper procedure, so the issuer likely wasn't at fault. But the information had been leaked. And this wasn't even a classified mission—too many people knew about it.
"Escape!"
Without hesitation, Lin Yao turned and fled. She wasn't far from the fortress. If she could just get close enough...
These people were usually arrogant, but they never engaged in direct confrontations with the military. But the next instant, the space around her was completely locked down.
Lin Yao's face froze.
"Little girl, blame yourself for being too talented. The Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation, a Golden Core cultivator under thirty... Given a few hundred more years, you'd become a hindrance to our master."
"It's them."
Hearing this, Lin Yao forced herself to stay calm, narrowing her eyes at the figures around her.
"A great existence from ancient times—one older than the history of this world."
Seeing her reaction, the three seemed in no hurry. Among them were two late Nascent Soul cultivators and one early Nascent Soul cultivator. And these weren't the kind of Nascent Soul cultivators who had relied on dubious methods to break through.
With this lineup, even Su Min at this stage would have struggled. Back when she was at the Golden Core stage, even with a divine artifact, her combat power—while formidable—wasn't nearly enough to face such odds.
For Lin Yao, this was practically a death sentence. The space was sealed. She couldn't send out any messages. But these people didn't seem eager to attack. Instead, they began trying to recruit her.
"What do you say? Join us. Swear a soul oath, and you'll become one of us. Greater power, the boundless starry skies—all will be within your reach."
Their voices were cold. A genius like her would be extremely useful if recruited. Whether as nourishment for their master or as a future enforcer, she would be invaluable. In fact, she could even become the perfect weapon to overthrow the current order.
After all, in all these years, their world had only produced one cultivator who had survived the Nine-Nine Heavenly Tribulation.
"Haah..."
Lin Yao took a deep breath.
She had sworn a soul oath before.
She knew just how binding they were.
But the restrictions Su Min had placed on her, while strict, were mostly to prevent her from revealing Su Min's existence. These people's demands, however, were unthinkable. There was no way she would ever side with them. Especially after what Su Min had just told her about their kind.
Even the "master" they spoke of matched what she knew—a once-glorious expert who, in order to survive, had severed much of his foundation and cultivation, devouring living beings to restore himself.
"I have to go all out."
Instead of answering, Lin Yao began silently circulating the spiritual energy within her body. In the next instant, she would unleash everything she had, breaking through the spatial blockade. Su Min was still in her room. If she could just draw her attention, this wouldn't be a problem. In fact, she didn't even need Su Min—just causing a slight disturbance would activate the fortress's defenses.
"She's going all out—stop her!"
Naturally, such an obvious surge of spiritual energy didn't escape their notice. In the next moment, all three attacked simultaneously, unleashing everything they had. After all, this girl was a renowned genius. Even those so-called Heavenly Spirit Roots couldn't compare to her.
Never underestimate a genius's last stand.
It could be terrifying.
But the moment Lin Yao released her power, she froze.
Because at that instant, a strange force erupted from within her, swallowing the burning essence blood she had been about to ignite.
Then, everything before her turned gray.
The lethal attacks speeding toward her came to a complete halt.
"!!!"
Lin Yao was stunned.
But the next moment, a figure appeared before her.
"It seems the life-saving measure I left in you was triggered. Three Nascent Soul cultivators in matching uniforms... Do you know where they're from?"
Su Min's calm voice rang out. The moment Lin Yao had begun burning her essence blood, Su Min had sensed it. Given how close they were to the fortress, she had arrived in an instant. Just in time to freeze everything with her Time Law.
"Haah... haah..."
Seeing Su Min appear, Lin Yao let out a sigh of relief, a profound sense of survival washing over her. She took a few deep breaths, then realized with surprise that she could still move within this frozen space.
After reaching the Dao Comprehension stage, Su Min's control over the Time Law had grown far stronger. So she could allow Lin Yao to move freely within the frozen time, unlike before.
"They're the ones I mentioned earlier. They're afraid I'll grow too quickly and want to eliminate me."
"I see."
Su Min's eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the three figures. In that moment, she deduced a crucial piece of information—
That "master" of theirs definitely couldn't awaken anytime soon. Otherwise, they wouldn't take such a huge risk to assassinate Lin Yao. No matter how talented she was, she was still just a Golden Core cultivator. It would take her centuries to become a threat. Their urgency meant their master couldn't afford to wait. This was both good and bad news.
First, the good—she had a high chance of finding the Kirin, since she knew it was connected to that being. A creature like that, upon awakening, would need vast amounts of nourishment—and higher-quality prey than humans would be divine beasts.
Now, the bad—if it couldn't awaken yet, then there was no question.
It had to be at least a Mahayana cultivator, possibly even peak Mahayana. Otherwise, it wouldn't have needed to seal itself away so thoroughly.
"Just act as if nothing happened. As for these three... I'll take care of them."
Su Min's voice was calm. Now that she had this crucial information, she could afford to be a little more aggressive. She needed to wrap things up quickly and leave. If they couldn't even give Lin Yao a few centuries, they certainly wouldn't give her that time.
In a few hundred years, she would at least be at the Unity stage.
There was nothing to worry about.
"Understood."
Lin Yao turned and left without another word.
This would make it easier to avoid suspicion.
And the moment she flew away—
Snap.
Time resumed.
The three cultivators were stunned to find Lin Yao gone, the spatial blockade broken. And standing before them was an unfamiliar woman. But before they could react—
Crush.
A suffocating pressure descended, and then...
They were gone.
Three Nascent Soul ants were nothing before Su Min.
"They must have soul oaths. I'll need to use soul-searching. Maybe I can find something useful in the corners of their memories."
Looking at the three black-robed figures floating before her, Su Min mused silently. There was no point in interrogating them directly. She would have to resort to alternative methods. With that thought, she vanished with the three bodies in tow.
==
🎉 A Special Shoutout to Magn0lia! 🎉
Guess what? I just received my very first Ko-fi donation—and it's from you! 🥹✨
I can't even begin to explain how much this means to me. As a writer/translator, seeing someone enjoy my work enough to support it literally makes my day—no, my whole week. So from the bottom of my heart: Thank you, Magn0lia! You're officially legendary. 💖
This little boost of motivation is going straight into fueling more chapters (and maybe some celebratory caffeine). Again, thank you so much for the support. Readers like you make writing this story even more worth it. 🥂
(P.S. You're now eternally on my "Top Tier Humans" list. Just saying.)