On the planet's surface, countless people stood in stunned silence, their faces tilted upwards.
With the formation blockade lifted, they could now clearly see the nearby celestial body, their moon, and the cataclysmic spectacle unfolding upon its surface through telescopes and enhanced vision. The scene of heaven and earth being torn asunder, of silent, massive explosions scarring the lunar surface, was both awe inspiring and utterly terrifying.
Yet all they could do was watch, helpless. Without reaching the Dao Comprehension stage, even the most powerful Divine Transformation cultivators could not venture safely into the starry void. Without the protection of their own laws to sustain them and shield them from the vacuum and cosmic radiation, they were powerless spectators to a battle that would decide their fate.
Gradually, as the reality of the situation settled, all eyes in the command center turned toward a certain young woman standing quietly in the corner.
"Master... is unharmed." The moment the message reached her, Lin Yao's breath caught in her throat. Her knees nearly gave way beneath her, and she had to press a hand against the cold, reinforced wall behind her to steady herself.
The voice was not spoken aloud. It echoed from deep within her consciousness, transmitted through the subtle spiritual restrictions Su Min had woven into her body long ago, back when she had used Lin Yao as bait to lure out their enemies. Lin Yao had hated those restrictions at first, resenting the way Su Min always seemed to be a step ahead, always setting traps, always controlling the entire field from the shadows.
But now, that same invasive presence wrapped around her spirit like a quiet, reassuring embrace. A single, calm pulse of intent, steady and unshaken.
Even so, she had feared. She had kept that fear locked tight behind her ribs, pretending a calm she did not feel as the heavens roared and strange lights flickered in the sky above. Pretending she was not secretly pacing in her soul, waiting for a sign.
She should have known better. Su Min did not gamble. She calculated. Every move was measured.
Lin Yao pressed a hand to her chest, feeling the frantic beat of her heart begin to slow. Su Min was alive.
Su Min knew the entire planet was uneasy, holding its breath. There was no need to keep them in suspense, so after conclusively dealing with the Bloodfiend Old Demon, she sent that brief, mental message to her disciple before immediately retreating to a secluded, hidden spot on the planet to recover.
This battle had left her severely injured, far more than any previous fight. Unlike Liao Meng, who had foolishly crippled his own laws in his obsession with sealing her full power, the Bloodfiend Old Demon had held nothing back, fighting with the desperate rage of a cornered beast. His final counterattack had been truly devastating.
Moreover, Su Min did not entirely trust this world's other inhabitants. Lin Yao was an exception, a known variable, but she was still too weak to guard Su Min in a vulnerable state. So Su Min chose to recover alone, in a location known only to herself. Though she was immortal and could not truly die, lingering injuries could still be troublesome and painful, especially since she would soon be traversing the vast, empty cosmos again. She needed to be in perfect condition.
"That guy was completely insane. Now that I have reached the Dao Comprehension stage, the Black Tortoise Armor's defense rivals that of a low grade Heaven tier treasure. And yet, he nearly shattered it completely." In a small, isolated cave she had carved out with a thought, Su Min finally allowed herself to relax. But the moment she dismissed her damaged armor, the reinforced robes beneath exploded into tatters. Her jade white skin was now stained a stark, gruesome crimson, a map of crisscrossing wounds and deep bruises.
"So much for those 'indestructible anime shorts.' This is going to take a while to recover from." With a weary wave of her hand, she gouged a deep, basin like pit into the solid rock of the cave floor, then poured out the contents of a small, crystalline vial. Instantly, the cavern was filled with a thick, revitalizing energy that smelled of ozone and rare herbs. She slipped into the glowing pool, and within moments, her countless wounds began to itch and knit together.
[Glazed Healing Salve (7th Tier, Low Grade): Gentle efficacy allows for gradual recovery, mending all but the most profound Dao injuries.]
"Ahhh, much better. I had to take too many potent pills during that fight. There is still residual energy storming in my system, this is perfect for refining it slowly." Floating lazily in the warm, effervescent pool, she savored the soothing effect of the medicine as it seeped into her pores. It felt like ten thousand gentle, spiritual hands caressing her weary body and strained meridians.
Soon, her exhaustion overtook her, and she closed her eyes, drifting into a deep, healing meditative trance.
Time flowed silently as Su Min slept. Over the next year, the world below gradually stabilized. The severed global networks were painstakingly restored, and the Cultivation Alliance reestablished its authority and order.
As for Su Min? It was as if she had never existed, a ghost story, a myth that had passed back into legend.
During her seclusion, a few ambitious souls had entertained dark thoughts, but the memory of her overwhelming power and the fact that her whereabouts were completely unknown deterred any real action. There was no point in antagonizing such a force, especially when she had already declared her impending departure from their world.
Lin Yao, however, faced a different, more personal challenge. Over these twenty years, she had confronted her final, deep seated trial: the peaceful passing of her aged mother. With that, she severed another lingering earthly attachment, her heart growing calmer and more focused.
After a period of deep, solitary meditation on this loss, she emerged stronger, having reached the late Golden Core stage. She was now nearly ready to attempt the perilous Nascent Soul breakthrough. But even with the perfect grade Nascent Soul Pill Su Min had left for her, this step would not be easy. She still needed further tempering of her spirit and will.
With the heretical cults eradicated, the world had grown more peaceful. The alliance could focus its entire strength on managing the Filth Beasts, a long term matter Su Min no longer concerned herself with.
By the time Su Min finally awoke from her long recuperation, her strength had largely returned to its peak.
"Finally fully recovered. That guy's law was likely the Law of Slaughter, refined over millennia. Now that I am healed... it is time to leave. I should bid Lin Yao a proper farewell. From here on, her path is her own to walk. My protection ends here." Stretching, her joints popping softly, Su Min considered her next steps. She had much to do and could not linger on this backwater planet any longer. Though the Northern Water's Profound Origin could heal physical injuries quickly, battles between Dao Comprehension experts always left lingering, insidious traces of opposing laws within one's body. While not as severe as true Dao injuries, they were troublesome enough to require careful purification, hence the twenty year recovery period.
The fact that her opponent had once been a genuine Mahayana expert only compounded the difficulty. His laws had been absurdly refined and potent. But regardless of the challenges, Su Min was finally whole again. For Dao Comprehension cultivators with lifespans of five thousand years, twenty years was a trivial span, a short nap.
"Time to wear my proper Heavenly Continent attire. My departure is long overdue." She willed a set of pristine white robes into existence, the fabric adorned with intricate, subtly glowing silver patterns that resembled swirling nebulae. Unlike the revealing outfits common in fantasy games, these robes covered her from neck to ankle, yet they were tailored to accentuate her flawless figure while maintaining an air of dignified, untouchable elegance.
They perfectly balanced the ethereal mystique of an immortal with the practical boldness of a wandering swordsman. As the leader of a major sect, Su Min had access to the finest tailors in the Heavenly Continent, who crafted these garments to her exact preferences and specifications.
It was the kind of attire only she could wear without a hint of pretense. Regal, without trying. Cold, yet devastatingly beautiful.
"Perfect." Satisfied, she pulled on a pair of matching silver threaded gloves and vanished from the cave, reappearing moments later in the modest meeting room where Lin Yao and the alliance leaders were convened.
"Wow—!"
The reaction was instant and universal. Heads turned. Words died in throats. For a moment, no one breathed. She was not just powerful, she looked like someone who had stepped directly out of a myth, from another world entirely.
Lin Yao stood among them, as stunned as the rest. Even now, even after everything they had been through, she was not immune to it. She knew Su Min's cultivation, her composure, her immense strength, but something about seeing her like this, in her full, majestic regalia, made Lin Yao's heart thud painfully against her ribs. It was the feeling of being a child again, looking up at the night sky and realizing for the first time how infinitely far away the stars truly were.
Upon reaching the Dao Comprehension stage and comprehending a law, cultivors developed a unique, imposing aura, and Su Min's, derived from the enigmatic and supreme Law of Time, was especially potent and intimidating.
"Master? Why have you come so suddenly?" The words came out more breathless than she intended. She immediately wished she had sounded calmer, more composed.
Su Min glanced at her, her gaze as unreadable as still water.
"I came to say goodbye. Your world no longer faces any major external threats. As for the Filth Beasts... that is a natural cycle of this world, beyond my power or right to resolve permanently. There is no reason for me to stay any longer." Her voice was calm, flat, unshaken. As if none of this, the people, the planet, the farewell, ever truly touched her heart.
Lin Yao's throat tightened, a lump forming that she could not swallow.
The others in the room were utterly silent, wisely so. Even those who had once dared to speak a little more freely around Su Min now lowered their gazes to the floor. They knew. Who she was. What she was. And that if she chose to kill them all where they stood, no one in this universe could stop her. In the face of such absolute strength, silence was the only respectful option.
"Master... you are leaving already?" The question escaped Lin Yao's lips before she could swallow it back. She had not meant to sound so… lost, so plaintive.
Su Min had been her unwavering light through the chaos, her anchor in the storm. Her presence alone had steadied Lin Yao through dangerous breakthroughs, bloody battles, and deep doubt. Without her guidance and protection, she would never have reached these heights.
"Yes," Su Min replied, her tone unfazed by the emotion in Lin Yao's voice. "The cosmos is vast. Do not limit your sights to this single planet. If you truly wish to find me one day, take this into the Ancient Battlefield. It will guide you to my world." She handed Lin Yao a simple pendant. It was made of cold, smooth jade, unassuming in design, yet it felt impossibly heavy in Lin Yao's palm, dense with spiritual significance.
And then, before Lin Yao could ask anything more, before she could even form another thought, the space around them twisted. A blink later, the two of them stood alone atop a windswept, isolated mountain peak, the meeting room and its occupants left far behind.
Lin Yao did not speak. She did not know what to say that would not sound like a plea.
The wind tugged at their robes, whipping Su Min's silver threaded hems into a graceful dance. Clouds shifted like a gray sea below their feet. Above them, the first stars of twilight flickered in the deep blue of the daytime sky, visible only at this extreme altitude. She wanted to freeze the moment, to live in it just a little longer.
"Understood," she said at last, her voice quiet but firm. She carefully tucked the precious pendant into an inner pocket, close to her heart. As for the Ancient Battlefield? She would not dare to enter it before reaching at least the half step Dao Comprehension stage. Even Su Min and Tian Hao, in their prime, had barely survived its inherent dangers back then. Though Lin Yao was talented, among the Golden Core elites of Su Min's homeworld, she might barely crack the top ten. Breaking into the legendary top five would require exceptional fortune and countless life or death trials.
The gap between them was still vast, a chasm she could not yet cross. Caution was essential.
"You walk your own path now. My continued protection would only hinder your growth. Whether we meet again depends entirely on your own choices and strength. Farewell." She did not wait for a response, did not offer a comforting word or a final touch.
Su Min simply turned, her body dissolving into a stream of brilliant light, streaking skyward faster than the eye could follow, vanishing into the darkening horizon with no backward glance.
And just like that, she was gone.
Lin Yao stood there, silent and still on the peak.
Her hands, hanging at her sides, curled slowly into tight fists, her nails biting into her palms.
She understood. Su Min was not cruel, she was simply already beyond them, living on a different plane. She did not linger in one place, grow attached, or bask in the praise of lesser beings. She did not need warmth, or gratitude, or anyone at all.
She did not stay.
But even so, staring at the empty sky, Lin Yao made a vow.
"Master... I will find you," she whispered into the wind, her voice trembling with a mixture of sorrow and iron resolve. "I will catch up to you. I swear it."
She stared up at the place where Su Min had vanished, as if she could still see the fading echo of her light among the cold, distant stars. Behind her, the air rippled. Several figures arrived silently, their auras strong and familiar, the Divine Transformation stage elders of the alliance.
She did not turn to greet them.
Not yet.
Not while her heart still ached with something she could not name. Longing. Resolve. Maybe it was love, or something older and more profound than love, the simple, desperate desire to matter to someone who had already seen too much of eternity.
She would chase that light across worlds and through time, even if it took her an entire lifetime.
Even if Su Min never, ever turned back to look for her.
"Your master has left?" one of the elders finally asked, his voice hushed.
"Yes..." Lin Yao's reply was soft, but it carried on the thin mountain air.
"So she is truly gone..." Their voices carried a mix of complex emotions, regret, sorrow, and a faint, undeniable sense of relief. Had Su Min stayed, they would have had no choice but to obey her every whim, to live under her shadow. Such was the privilege and burden of absolute strength. Her departure was bittersweet. Yet without her, a new fear emerged: what if another Dao Comprehension level Filth Beast appeared?
"Our world's future is ours to safeguard now. Master eliminated the greatest threat we will likely ever face. If we still fail to protect our home after this, the fault lies with us alone." Lin Yao's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument. There was a reason Su Min had ignored the Filth Beast problem; she understood that without external pressure, this world would never have united so completely. Internal conflict was humanity's innate nature. Even cultivators were not immune to petty squabbles and power struggles, and Su Min herself had been dragged into plenty of such disputes in her own homeland.
The others nodded slowly in agreement. None of them harbored any ill intentions toward Lin Yao. For one, most knew they would never reach the Dao Comprehension stage in their remaining lifetimes. If humanity was to progress and stand on its own, they needed to nurture a true, homegrown powerhouse, and Lin Yao was their only viable candidate. Moreover, while the tiger might be gone, its deterrence remained. Su Min was not dead.
If she ever returned to this world and found her only disciple had been mistreated... well, no one with any sense wanted to contemplate facing her wrath. To most people here, Su Min was an aloof, distant figure, as all supreme experts tended to be, their minds on higher mysteries.
It was not that Su Min was cold hearted by nature. It was that after witnessing countless cycles of life and death over centuries, after seeing empires rise and fall, she rarely formed deep, lasting connections. It was a form of self preservation.
Meanwhile, in the cold, dark depths of space...
Su Min had reached the very edge of the star system. Unhindered by atmosphere or gravity, her Shrinking Earth Into Steps technique had carried her here in mere minutes, a journey that would have taken their fastest ships decades.
"In the void, spatial movement is absurdly efficient. But the cosmos is vaster than human comprehension. Regardless, I must return." Closing her eyes, she focused inward, searching for a familiar anchor. The power in her bloodline surged, and from light years away, a faint, insistent signal resonated deep within her soul, a spiritual homing beacon she had left behind.
"Location confirmed." She checked the intricate hourglass at her waist, a tool for measuring not sand, but the flow of time itself in the featureless void.
"Who knows how many years this journey will take. But no matter what, I must go back. The Kirin clan's plight, the final Central Wutu Divine Earth, those scheming fallen immortals..." Her eyes narrowed with purpose. This was a complete, living world, nothing like the simplified game she remembered. After all, the game would never have included a modern world DLC; the tonal clash would have been absurd. Countless shadows and enemies surely awaited her return. But what intrigued Su Min most was the prophesied coming of the Dharma Ending Era.
What unimaginable force could render even the mightiest cultivators powerless, stripping them of their hard won power? The answer eluded her, for now.
But as her strength grew and her understanding of the heavens deepened, the truth would inevitably reveal itself to her.
"Time to depart." With that final, quiet thought, she plunged forward into the endless dark. The blue green planet swiftly shrank to a dot, then vanished entirely from sight and spiritual perception. For a fleeting moment, Su Min felt a strange kinship with a certain comic book hero who had once crossed the cosmos alone, exiled from his home. But as she journeyed onward, faster and faster, an oppressive, profound weight settled upon her spirit.
Light years of utter emptiness stretched in every direction. There was no up or down, no east or west. Not a trace of life, not a whisper of sound. And no telling how long this lonely voyage would last.
At first, she studied the passing immortal bodies with academic curiosity, noting the colors of distant gas giants and the slow spin of alien galaxies. But soon, even that grew tedious, the patterns repeating in infinite variation. Eventually, she became numb to it all, the majesty of creation fading into a monotonous backdrop.
Before long... Su Min abandoned active thought. She let her mind go quiet, conserving her energy and sanity. She became a mindless travel machine, a single point of consciousness hurtling inexorably through the infinite night toward a single, distant point of light, her body operating on instinct and automated cultivation alone.