"Interesting." Su Min's eyebrow twitched upon hearing this revelation; this was absolutely top secret, foundational information. However, that founding Buddha had died prematurely, and from the sound of it, his soul had been completely obliterated, leaving no chance for any posthumous arrangements.
As for the reason? Most likely, he couldn't resist the temptation of peeking directly into the River of Time itself. Back when she first comprehended the Time Law, Su Min had consciously chosen to play the ostrich, she endured the enlightenment process without taking a single, direct glance into that terrifying flow, precisely to avoid such a catastrophic fate.
After all, the natural lifespan of a Unity stage cultivator was ten thousand years, while a Mahayana stage cultivator could live for thirty thousand. The Ascension stage was said to be similar to Mahayana in terms of longevity. And the fact that he could not even reincarnate suggested that the karmic backlash was far from simple; it was a fundamental erasure.
"You seem to know something about this?" Seeing Su Min's intrigued and unsurprised expression, Kong Hui realized she must have some deeper insight into the dangers of the Primordial Time.
"Do you want to hear my theory? Are you prepared to bear the potential consequences of that knowledge?" Su Min had no intention of hiding it, as speaking it would not directly harm her, but hearing it might impart a burden.
"Amitabha. Sometimes, ignorance is bliss." Kong Hui wisely declined, making a Buddhist gesture with his hands.
"Very well." Seeing Kong Hui's cautious demeanor, Su Min did not press further. She herself had no intention of touching that specific karma, which was precisely why she had remained unscathed by it so far.
"Then lead the way. We can discuss the specific conditions on the road." Su Min did not say much else, simply gesturing for Kong Hui to take the lead. Since they were willing to hand over such a significant opportunity to her, they undoubtedly wanted something substantial in return. If they could not secure absolute benefits from the realm itself, they might as well maximize their gains through external deals.
"We need a few special pills tailored to our techniques. Though they are only seventh grade high tier, for our specific cultivation methods, they are no less valuable than standard eighth grade pills." Kong Hui stated as they walked.
"Hmm." Su Min's eyebrow twitched again. This was one of the classic advantages of major factions, they possessed pill recipes tailor made for their unique techniques, allowing lower grade pills to achieve extraordinary, synergistic effects. Of course, if they had asked for nothing, Su Min would have been even more wary about entering what could be a trap.
"What kind of pills specifically?"
"Once we return to the main hall, I will give you the recipe. The ingredients are already prepared and waiting; we can begin refining at any time."
"Fine, but I have one condition regarding the payment."
"Name it."
"The payment, in full, will be rendered after I successfully come out of the Damo Secret Realm." Su Min wanted to ensure her leverage remained until the mission was complete.
"Agreed." Kong Hui answered without a moment's hesitation. After this brief, businesslike exchange, the two soon arrived at a grand, solemn hall deep within the temple complex. Inside, a massive, slowly rotating golden vortex swirled ominously in the air, radiating immense spatial power.
"Isn't this the legacy realm of the Future Maitreya Mountain? Why is the entrance located inside your Great Thunder Temple?" Su Min was genuinely stunned. Something felt very off about this arrangement.
"Because the one currently controlling this realm is the Future Maitreya Mountain's Emperor tier artifact itself. After you destroyed that sect, it spontaneously opened permanent gates within the sacred grounds of all major orthodox Buddhist sects."
"Interesting..." Su Min frowned thoughtfully. Clearly, the artifact had witnessed, or at least was aware of, her role in the annihilation of its sect.
"If you had tried to attack or forcibly enter this realm back then, it would have undoubtedly struck you down with its full power."
"I see. So, do I just enter now?"
"Not yet. The realm has not fully stabilized and opened for this cycle. It will take about one more month. You can enter safely then."
"Understood."
"I will arrange a quiet meditation room for you. The entire area around the vortex is suffused with pure Buddhist energy; you can use the time to quietly contemplate the Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra here."
"Don't worry, I have not neglected my foundational Buddhist cultivation techniques." Su Min assured him. Her early training had included Buddhist methods, giving her a base level of compatibility with the environment.
"Oh? May this humble monk observe your comprehension, to see if there are any deviations?" Kong Hui asked, genuinely curious about her progress in their doctrines.
While Su Min and Kong Hui conversed peacefully, in a hidden, shadow drenched chamber beneath a forgotten pagoda, a group of sinister figures sat in a circle. Anyone present would have felt an instinctual chill, for even the Buddha had his wrathful forms. Yet these statues in the chamber were not fierce; instead, they were all smiling, each visage more eerily serene and unsettling than the last.
As the saying goes, a crying ghost is often less frightening than a laughing one. A grinning specter is never simple.
"This is the final legacy realm of the Future Maitreya Mountain. What a pity. Liao Xin, your fellow disciples from back then were not much help in preserving it." A voice dripping with sneering contempt addressed one of the monks present. Unlike typical Buddhist monks, this one named Liao Xin radiated a bloody, crimson light, utterly devoid of any holy or peaceful aura.
"Hmph. That woman, Su Min." The figure's crimson glow intensified with palpable hatred. They had laid an elaborate, centuries long scheme; originally, they were supposed to ally with the Future Maitreya Mountain to dismantle the orthodox Buddhist sects from within, devouring the monks to restore their own strength.
Su Min had inadvertently caught wind of this corruption, which was a key reason why she had taken the chance to destroy the Future Maitreya Mountain preemptively. Whether for personal vengeance or public justice, she had ample justification.
Naturally, this had completely infuriated them. If their original plan had succeeded, they could have devoured several high level Dao Comprehension stage orthodox cultivators, a true feast that would have propelled some of them straight into the Unity stage. Then, they could have acted openly and boldly, wiping out even those sects protected by Emperor tier artifacts.
But now, all of that had been ruined by one woman. Their hatred for Su Min burned deep, but they dared not act recklessly against her. Not only was her personal combat power terrifying, but her base was also the ancestral land of the Golden Crow clan. Fighting a supreme divine beast on its own territory? It was unthinkable. Moreover, the Golden Crows were once a true imperial clan, with unfathomable background heritage and hidden powers. They were genuinely afraid; direct confrontation was impossible.
Su Min, of course, knew none of this plotting. Even if she did, she would have likely just laughed it off. At her current level of power and confidence, she feared no such challenge. But while Su Min could afford to laugh, they could not. Seeking revenge against her offered little tangible benefit and immense risk. However, this secret realm opening presented another, different kind of opportunity, though taking this step was particularly dangerous.
"Liao Xin, how many of us can you safely bring into the realm?"
"Three, including myself. Any more, and the Emperor tier artifact's spirit will certainly detect our corrupted auras. At best, we would be expelled; at worst, instantly annihilated." Liao Xin was blunt. After all, this was the artifact once personally wielded by the Future Maitreya Mountain's founder. That it had watched their destruction without intervening meant all emotional ties had been severed; not even a shred of past affection remained.
"You should have found a way to destroy that thing earlier." A gloomy, hissing voice came from another shadowy figure.
"Feel free to try it yourself." Liao Xin retorted coldly. The artifact had not actively harmed them yet; it had even continued opening the realm on schedule. This was already more than they deserved after their sect's fall. At the very least, it had not turned against them directly. More importantly, destroying a fully conscious Emperor tier artifact was no easy feat, even for a group of them.
"Let us all lay low for now. Fortunately, I left a backup plan long ago within the realm itself." Liao Xin's crimson gaze swept over the group. He knew religious institutions had always been hotbeds for corruption and hidden factions. Before sealing himself away, Liao Xin had secretly nurtured a heretical branch sect inside the secret realm. Since it remained undiscovered by the artifact spirit, it was best to keep it that way as their trump card.
"This time, our primary goal is to cripple the Great Thunder Temple's leadership. Liao Xin, are you confident in your intelligence?"
"No problem. That old abbot and the Tongling Emperor have entered the mythical Other Shore to monitor the remnants of the true immortals. The strongest the Great Thunder Temple can currently send into the realm is one monk at the late Dao Comprehension stage. We can send three late stage Dao Comprehension experts; that is enough to ensure their deaths."
"What about the Emperor tier artifact's potential interference?"
"They cannot directly interfere in the trials within the realm itself. It is a foundational rule set by the creator."
"Good. Then we proceed as planned."
As Liao Xin spoke, his crimson glow blazed like a bloody sun, illuminating the dark chamber. A phantom red figure slowly materialized in the space behind him, a being of utter malevolence and corruption, yet its posture and aura were eerily reminiscent of the golden body formed by the orthodox Great Sun Tathāgata Sutra.
This was the Demon King Po Xun, the absolute antithesis and dark counterpart of the Great Sun Tathāgata.
Long ago, Liao Xin had meditated atop a desolate mountain for ten thousand years, comprehending this forbidden technique. Legend said that on the day he succeeded, a crimson sun had blazed in the sky, its bloody light engulfing all of Future Maitreya Mountain in terror and awe. From then on, he was officially excommunicated, forbidden from ever reincarnating through the orthodox Buddhist channels, at least, ostensibly.
In truth, he had held secret discussions with his fellow conspirators Liao Meng and Liao Jie. While peering into the future using a forbidden artifact, he had received a message from a terrifying entity beyond their world, granting him the knowledge of the Demon King Po Xun, a power said to rival the Buddha's own. This convinced him that their dark path was the true future. With Liao Jie and Liao Meng's approval, he was only "expelled" in public name. In reality, he went into hiding, following the future's guidance to seek out the Skeleton Emperor, an ancient sovereign who had somehow survived into this era. Then, he severed his own orthodox Buddhist path completely and joined the Black Seal, all to realize that ultimate, dark future and become the True Future Buddha of his vision.
From then on, they drifted irrevocably further from the Emperor tier artifact's approval. The founder of Future Maitreya Mountain had died too early, and some even believed he perished specifically because he failed to correctly grasp the true nature of the future. After his death, the sect had steadily strayed from the righteous path he had envisioned.
As the group of Fallen Ones lapsed into silence, back at the Great Thunder Temple...
Su Min sat rigidly on a hard meditation cushion. She disliked it immensely; she much preferred comfortable chairs with proper backrests, where she could lounge with one leg crossed over the other, exuding the same casual, domineering aura as the cool heroines from the games she remembered. This is not chuunibyou!!! She mentally protested the uncomfortable posture.
But the Great Thunder Temple only provided these spartan cushions, leaving her no choice. She might as well follow local customs, she reasoned; it was not like she could complain when even the highest monks sat like this for hours.
"Benefactor Su, two of our monks will enter the realm with you, one at the late Dao Comprehension stage and one at the mid stage, same as you." Kong Hui informed her.
"What about him?" Su Min glanced toward the silent, powerful monk who had been standing guard.
"Our junior brother will remain here to guard the sect. Even with the protection of our Collective Vow, we cannot let our guard down entirely. The Yao family's recent incident is proof enough that we must be cautious at all times."
"That is acceptable. But let us settle the loot distribution first. I will be blunt, it is better to hash this out now than to fight over spoils later inside." Su Min cut straight to the point, her tone practical.
"Benefactor Su, what is it you primarily desire? We are willing to concede somewhat, given your assistance." Kong Hui did not protest her bluntness. He knew any shortfall in tangible treasure could be compensated with future pill refinement requests, as long as her demands were not utterly outrageous.
Besides, they both knew Su Min had just recently entered the mid Dao Comprehension stage. She was still solidifying her foundation, making a breakthrough to the late stage impossible for the foreseeable future. That reality left room for negotiation.
"I want first refusal on any legacy or treasure that can enhance soul power or spiritual sense. The reason? You already know." Su Min stated her primary goal clearly.
"Eighth grade alchemy..." Kong Hui murmured the words, and the entire hall fell into a stunned silence. Even in the most glorious eras of cultivation history, eighth grade alchemists were as rare as phoenix feathers and kirin horns. Apart from the legendary emperors themselves, even peak Mahayana stage experts treated them with the utmost respect and deference.
As for ninth grade alchemists? They appeared maybe once every tens of thousands of years, if at all. No wonder the monks were stunned by the implication.
"Benefactor Su, are you truly attempting to break through to the eighth grade realm?" Kong Hui asked, his voice filled with a mix of awe and hope.
"I am considering it. But I feel like something is still missing, a key insight or resource..." Su Min trailed off, thoughtful.
"The Great Thunder Temple will support your endeavor unconditionally, even if we gain nothing in return from this secret realm expedition." Before Su Min could even finish, Kong Hui declared firmly, making a momentous decision on behalf of his entire sect. Su Min's lips twitched, and she cursed inwardly: "Old fox."
If she truly reached the eighth grade and owed them a massive favor for their support, they could later request custom pill refinements, and she would have little room to refuse or negotiate high prices. An eighth grade alchemist's personal debt was far more valuable in the long run than any single legacy or artifact. Kong Hui had clearly realized this strategic opportunity immediately. Of course, there was a significant risk; if Su Min failed in her attempt, they would lose their investment. But even then, the loss would be relatively minor. The realm was vast, and Su Min, as a non Buddhist, could only claim a limited portion of its Buddhist specific benefits. Overall, from Kong Hui's perspective, this was a near guaranteed long term win.
Though she mentally grumbled about his shrewdness, Su Min did not verbally object. She did genuinely need their help for this venture; no one knew what specific traps or trials awaited inside the realm crafted by the Time Dao Buddha, and she might face unexpected threats where allies were necessary.
Gulp. While the higher ups negotiated these weighty matters, the Divine Transformation stage monks observing from a respectful distance stared wide eyed. An eighth grade alchemist was practically a living deity to them; even a stable seventh grade one would command their utmost reverence and service.
But regardless of the shock, the matter was settled. With the loot distribution and future support agreed upon, all that remained was to wait patiently for the realm's full opening in one month's time. The stage was set for a journey into the heart of a fallen sect's legacy.