"We relinquish all our claims to the two provinces. We only ask that the Immortal Sect refrain from kicking us while we are down." The words tumbled out of the elder's mouth in a rushed, almost panicked tone.
"Huh?" Su Min was momentarily taken aback by the sudden, complete surrender. "Uh... agreed."
Watching the three previously arrogant individuals now acting so frantic, Su Min's eyebrow twitched involuntarily. She was acutely aware that the entire exchange was being recorded by several memory crystals embedded in the hall's pillars. If they dared act recklessly now, Su Min would have legitimate, publicly verifiable grounds to rally support and exterminate their entire sect.
Since her primary objective was achieved without a fight, that was enough. After all, the opposing party was still a super sect with a genuine Emperor's Artifact. An all out, no holds barred fight between such forces would be difficult to contain and would inevitably cause catastrophic collateral damage.
When Su Min had orchestrated the destruction of the Future Maitreya Mountain, she had made extensive, meticulous preparations to minimize the fallout and collateral damage. Her initial calculations back then had suggested that a full blown clash of Emperor's Artifacts could easily devastate at least one tenth of the entire continent's surface, especially since it would not be the legendary Golden Crow Emperor himself wielding the Eastern Emperor Bell, but the Little Golden Crow, who was still growing into her power. In such a scenario, Su Min herself might have needed to activate two Emperor's Artifacts simultaneously to counter them.
At that time, only the one adult Golden Crow was available and willing to intervene; the other had still been in its "infancy," its power dormant.
More importantly, observing their pale, strained expressions and the way they kept glancing nervously toward the entrance, Su Min had guessed that something more sinister was at play, something that had them spooked.
"That organization should have awakened by now. They are the only ones who would dare attack major sects and clans so brazenly and with such precision." She thought to herself. Previously, all Fallen Ones had operated independently or in small, isolated cells. Even when they collaborated on rare occasions, they maintained a cautious distance from each other. But now, the timing and the boldness of the attack suggested the hidden conflict was entering its final arc.
Black Seal.
The name surfaced in her mind, cold and ominous. A terrifying, shadowy organization of Fallen Ones akin to the legendary Akatsuki from her past life stories, with very few members but each possessing overwhelming individual power. Their leader was the final boss in the game's original storyline.
This marked the game's concluding chapter, the rise of the Fallen Ones' unified, public faction. They would launch a systematic purge against all major sects across the continent, having secretly prepared for centuries to face every superpower simultaneously.
As expected, the news arrived the very next day, confirming her suspicions.
The Yao Clan's main branch on the continent had suffered heavy, devastating losses. Seven or eight of their Divine Transformation cultivators were confirmed dead, along with numerous Nascent Soul and Golden Core experts. The casualties among lower level disciples went unreported, likely because they were too numerous to count quickly. The attackers' motives were simple and horrifying: high level cultivator flesh and spiritual energy far surpassed that of mortals. These predators exclusively targeted cultivators, seeing them as the most potent fuel for their recovery and ascension.
"So they have finally arrived," Su Min murmured internally before falling into a contemplative silence. Striking with such precision while the enemy's leadership was away negotiating, it was a bold and calculated move indeed.
"Pass down my orders: immediately connect these three regions via permanent spatial channels." She commanded, pointing to a map of the territories under the Immortal Sect's direct influence.
"Eh?" Her command drew puzzled looks from the attending elders, but no one voiced any objections. The adjacent provinces were close enough that linking them would not require an excessive amount of energy or rare materials.
Su Min's reasoning was straightforward, to consolidate their defenses and allow for instant reinforcement. She could not be everywhere at once.
"After devouring so many high level cultivators, at least a few of the attacking Fallen Ones must have recovered their strength to the Dao Comprehension stage." This was her greatest concern. If even a few of their peak members were former Mahayana experts, like the Bloodfiend Patriarch, the situation would turn dire for everyone. Remembering her near fatal battle with the Bloodfiend Patriarch demonstrated just how formidable a former Mahayana cultivator could be, even when severely weakened.
A single opponent at that level had nearly killed her. Interconnecting their core territories with stable spatial channels would enable rapid, flexible reinforcement from her and the other powerful experts.
"You seem to know something about these attackers?" Xie Yingying had noticed Su Min's lack of surprise and her immediate, strategic response.
"Yeah. I think I need to consult Yao Xian'er about this. She might have more insight." Su Min replied, thinking of the formidable woman with the Great Desolate Holy Body.
"You probably will not find her." Xie Yingying said flatly.
"Huh?"
"Senior Jiang Xi told me before she went into seclusion that Yao Xian'er left the Heavenly Continent with the Grand Thunder Temple's patriarch. They said they were seeking something beyond the stars." Xie Yingying explained.
"Tch." Su Min massaged her temples in frustration. The two strongest human experts on the continent, aside from herself and Tian Hao, had just... left? With these powerful attackers emerging, She worried about other unknown, even greater threats lurking in the shadows that she did not yet know about.
"How far has Jiang Xi recovered in her new body?" Su Min asked, changing the subject.
"She has reached the Nascent Soul stage. Having lost her innate Lunar Sovereign Physique, her cultivation speed is still decent for a mortal, but the path is much rougher for her now." Xie Yingying reported. Jiang Xi, once a towering figure, was now essentially starting over.
"I see. Then there is nothing more to discuss with her on this matter. Instruct all our cultivators to avoid large gatherings when traveling outside the Eastern Mulberry Province. Those monsters do not fear the reputation of so called super sects." With that, Su Min stood up to leave the command hall.
"Where are you going?" Xie Yingying asked.
"To the core of the Eastern Mulberry Province, to the Golden Crow's sacred tree. The Dragon Princess, Ao Xue, is already waiting for me there."
"Oh?" Xie Yingying's eyebrow arched slightly, a flicker of understanding in her eyes, before she nodded silently. She knew when Su Min needed to confer with the divine beasts, it was a matter of utmost importance.
Upon arriving at the massive, sun drenched tree at the rendezvous point, Su Min overheard a familiar, bickering exchange:
"Hey, Xiao Yu. Hurry up with your cultivation, will you? I am about to breakthrough to the Unity stage while you are still dawdling in the Dao Comprehension stage." The voice was haughty and belonged to Ao Xue, the Dragon Princess.
"What is there to boast about? If not for my innate bloodline defect requiring constant adjustments, and though it is undeniably stronger now, the fundamental changes forced me to relearn everything from the ground up! And who are you calling 'Xiao Yu'? Do you want a beating, you Big Chested Woman?" The retort came from Donghuang Taiyu, the Little Golden Crow, her voice sharp with indignation. While dragons used "Ao" as their surname, the Golden Crow Clan traditionally adopted "Donghuang," meaning Eastern Emperor.
"Enough bickering, you two. I summoned you both for something important." Su Min intervened before their spat could escalate further. Her current dilemma was significant, and in some ways, it outweighed even the immediate threat of the Black Seal.
"What is it?" The two divine beasts glared at each other one last time but settled down, turning their attention to Su Min. Much like how the Immortal Sect's influence had waned in Su Min's absence, only she possessed the authority and power to make these two prideful, ancient divine beasts negotiate peacefully.
"This." Su Min produced the jet black, pulsating Kirin egg from her spatial ring. Instantly, the quarreling pair's eyes bulged in recognition.
"Ink Kirin?" Ao Xue breathed, her earlier arrogance replaced by shock.
"Here is the situation. The Central Wutu Divine Earth is hidden within the Kirin Clan's ancestral vault. To obtain it, I must first hatch this egg, but I do not know the proper method. I even bought a mortal incubator as an experiment, look." To demonstrate, Su Min placed an ordinary chicken egg inside the humming device she had brought back. With a localized time acceleration field applied, a fluffy yellow chick soon emerged, peeping loudly.
Ao Xue and Donghuang Taiyu finally lost their composure completely.
"Pfft, HAHAHA!" Ao Xue burst out laughing, the sound echoing through the sacred grove.
"A divine beast... incubated like a common chicken? I cannot, this is too much, HAHAHA!" The Little Golden Crow joined in, clutching her stomach as she laughed.
"Uh..." Watching Ao Xue's chest heave with unrestrained laughter and the equally amused Golden Crow, Su Min felt genuinely perplexed. Was her method really that absurd?
Meanwhile, a strong, indignant pulse emanated from the Ink Kirin egg in her hands, clearly offended.
"So... do you actually know how to hatch it properly?" Though missing the humor, Su Min patiently produced a red, fiery Kirin egg from the same incubator, placing it next to the black one.
The Ink Kirin egg possessed a nascent spirituality but remained underdeveloped, only able to convey fragmented, emotional thoughts.
"We can. But to think the mighty Kirin were stolen from their ancestral grounds and nearly driven to extinction, and then this... pfft, how utterly pathetic." Ao Xue managed to say between fading giggles.
"Enough laughing. This is serious." Su Min rolled her eyes, her patience wearing thin. Divine beasts inherited vast memories through their bloodlines. Though these two were newly born in this cycle, their innate knowledge banks were extensive.
As expected, they soon composed themselves, wiping tears of mirth from their eyes, and began to explain properly.
Several minutes later...
"So, Kirin require a special, balanced Five Elements environment to hatch properly? And this Five Elements Convergence Formation you described will suffice?" Examining the complex formation diagram imprinted on the jade slip they gave her, Su Min frowned. It was intricate and would require constant, precise maintenance.
"Correct. The maintenance is tedious, but with your status, a single command to your sect will suffice to have disciples manage it. You might as well hatch the whole batch you rescued while you are at it." Donghuang Taiyu said with a shrug.
"Fine." Su Min grasped their meaning. She was meant to leverage the vast resources and manpower of the Immortal Sect. She had founded the sect precisely to handle such large scale, tedious chores, and her absolute authority within it ensured things would be executed smoothly.
"Though their rapid growth after hatching will pose its own challenges. Divine beasts need massive amounts of pure energy to mature, but for someone of your... particular talents, it is just a matter of tedious, repetitive work." Ao Xue added, a sly grin playing on her lips.
"Damn it!!!" Su Min immediately understood the simplest, most effective solution they were implying: Pills. Mountains of them.
Without access to the Kirin ancestral realm's natural resources, high grade elixirs were the perfect, if incredibly labor intensive, substitute.
She would be reduced to a pill churning machine for the foreseeable future. Rubbing her forehead in exasperation, she let out a long sigh. It seemed there was no escape.
"You two carry on with your... discussion. I need to enter seclusion soon. The Black Seal has emerged, and the true bloodshed is approaching." She said, her tone turning grim.
"Black Seal?" The two divine beasts asked in unison, their playful moods vanishing.
"An organization of the most powerful Fallen Ones. Their members have a minimum peak strength at the Unity stage. Any sect without multiple Dao Comprehension stage guardians will become their prey. And even that might not suffice; having an Emperor's Artifact on standby is becoming necessary." Su Min explained gravely.
"!!!"
The duo paled, the implications sinking in. But Su Min withheld further, more terrifying details. She did not mention the name that weighed heaviest on her mind.
"Skeleton Emperor." Her eyes narrowed as she thought of him. True Ascension stage experts could not be sealed, no matter how they suppressed themselves; the heavenly laws would eventually find them. Yet he was the exception, a paradox. The game's final boss.
Their climactic battle still awaited in the future. Though aware of his existence from her past life knowledge, Su Min could not locate his hiding place. The game had only revealed his background and ultimate goal, not his specific recovery methods or location.
Preemptive strikes were impossible. Worse, she was not confident in defeating him at her current strength, unless her Five Elements Saint Physique achieved true, complete Mahayana perfection. And others, like Tian Hao and Xie Yingying, faced similar limitations against such an apex foe.
A week later, all preparations for the Kirin hatchery had concluded within the Immortal Sect's most secure valley.
"So many pill requests have come in... and some include ingredients for an eighth grade Unity Pill. I simply cannot refuse those." Scanning the long list of commissions, Su Min noted several that offered fragments of materials needed for the legendary eighth grade Unity Pill, an irresistible offer for any alchemist, even with their stringent and incomplete requirements.
"Seventh grade high level pills, using their own sect's treasured, secret recipes? Though the ingredient sets are often incomplete, I can supplement them with my own stock. Let us begin... ugh." Massaging her temples, Su Min acknowledged the burden of being the only publicly known seventh grade alchemist in the world. The runner up from the last grand alchemy tournament had reportedly reached the sixth grade high level, but breaking into the seventh grade remained a chasm few could cross.
Her own sect's top alchemist, despite having inherited some of her personal notes and guidance, was still only at the sixth grade low level.
With her return, gifts and commission requests had flooded in from every major power. She had accepted them all, knowing that to refuse would create political friction, and otherwise, she would accomplish nothing else but diplomacy.
"Six different pill types to refine first. After their completion, I can finally focus on my own secluded cultivation." Her foundations were now perfectly solid; it was time to advance her own cultivation. The Black Seal's emergence was the clearest signal that the game's final act had begun.
Raw, personal strength had to take priority.
The game had featured a particularly haunting bad ending called: "The Silent World," where the Fallen Ones had won.
"Been ages since I properly refined high level pills. I did not get much practice on that other planet." Staring at her Medicine King's Cauldron, Su Min suddenly remembered something else.
"Ah! This sword, a Heaven tier high grade artifact I still cannot even use." While mentally inspecting her equipment, she recalled the blood red greatsword still stored within her cauldron, a trump card she had captured from the Mahayana expert.
Heaven tier artifacts required specific, matching cultivation methods to operate effectively. Her Earth tier weapons, which had served her so well for centuries, had become practically useless to her now.
Contemplating the greatsword visually wedged in her mind's eye, Su Min had an epiphany, though her expression turned peculiar. Could she melt it down to empower her own primary weapon, the one born from the Nanming Lihuo? But Heaven tier high grade artifacts were not easily smelted; their materials were incredibly resilient, certainly beyond her current personal capabilities.
"Perhaps I will consult the Little Golden Crow about it later. Pills first." Storing the thought away, Su Min considered that combining her enhanced Nanming Lihuo with the Golden Crow's pure Solar True Flame, they might just generate enough heat to melt the stubborn artifact.
Her own weapon's unique trait was its material indiscrimination; it could theoretically consume and assimilate any substance. A forced assimilation might be the key to elevating it to the Heaven tier.
"Pills first. I must honor my commitments. Besides, maintaining an aura of scarcity only boosts my long term value and leverage." With her mind made up, a red light shimmered around her as she activated a time acceleration field within the secluded refining chamber. The outside world could wait.
Meanwhile, deep within a protected valley of the Immortal Sect, a massive, complex Five Elements Formation hummed to life, its center housing dozens of beautifully patterned Kirin eggs. Hundreds of dedicated Golden Core to Nascent Soul stage cultivators took shifts maintaining it round the clock, ensuring perfect environmental stability.
No one asked why they were doing this. Su Min's directive was all the reason they needed.