"The future is uncertain, but right now, there is a bigger problem."
Su Min shook her head lightly as she looked at the two divine beasts. This was not the time to dwell on distant concerns. In the days since her return, she had confirmed something unsettling. No wonder her heart had been pounding relentlessly. The little Golden Crow was in trouble.
With a deep breath, she floated upward, approaching the enormous golden egg. Had anyone else dared to come this close, the two guardians would have attacked without hesitation. Though they were only at the early Golden Core stage, their combat prowess rivaled that of ordinary late Golden Core cultivators.
But with the world's spiritual energy now restored, these two had remained stagnant in their cultivation, solely focused on guarding the Golden Crow. If they were to enter seclusion, they could break through to the Nascent Soul stage in one leap.
Divine beasts were rare, and their advancement worked differently from humans. Take the little Golden Crow. While human cultivators spent thousands of years enduring countless life and death trials to reach the Divine Transformation stage, she had simply slept her way there.
It was enviable, absolutely.
But considering she was now the only Golden Crow in existence, it was not exactly a blessing. Even at their peak, the Golden Crow tribe had never numbered more than thirty. Against the vast tide of humanity, that was nothing.
"A bigger problem?"
The two divine beasts exchanged glances before following Su Min to the golden egg. They watched as she pressed her palm against its warm, pulsating surface, her brow furrowing. Just as she suspected, something was wrong.
Their Young Mistress should have been safely past the dangerous incubation phase, yet the tension in Su Min's shoulders said otherwise. Still, given Su Min's status as a master alchemist, they did not dare dismiss her concerns.
"Place your hands here," she instructed, her voice tight. "The little Golden Crow is..."
They pressed their own hands against the smooth shell, focusing their senses. A moment later, their expressions darkened.
"Yin Yang imbalance?! The Yang energy is too strong! How is that possible?"
Their eyes snapped toward Su Min. Golden Crows, regardless of gender, naturally possessed intense Yang energy. But balance was key. Excessive Yang would disrupt the natural order. And right now, the little Golden Crow's Yang energy was far, far beyond normal limits.
There was only one explanation. Su Min's essence blood.
"Aren't you a Five Elements Sacred Body? How could your blood carry such potent Yang energy?"
"It is probably not my blood's fault," Su Min mused. "Most likely, a trace of Taiyang Qi seeped in. But it is not a big issue."
She already knew the real cause. "There was no problem at first because I did not activate it. But now I have completely activated the inheritance of the Solar Sovereign Body. So after being implicated, problems also occurred in the body of the Little Golden Crow."
But the solution was simple. She still had three drops of Xie Yingying's Tianyin Essence Blood, and just one would suffice. Not only would this fix the problem, but it might even become an opportunity for the little Golden Crow. After all, their blood contract ensured the Golden Crow's obedience. Strengthening her only meant a more powerful ally in the future.
"It is not a big issue because of that Lunar Sovereign Body girl, is not it?"
Su Min nodded. "I still have a drop of her essence blood. But this will use up half my remaining stock, so no more reckless spending."
From her spatial ring emerged a jade vial so cold it frosted the air around it. When Su Min cracked the seal, a single drop of shimmering crimson essence floated upward, its mere presence chilling the surrounding air.
"Tianyin Essence Blood?! She actually gave you..."
"Four drops," Su Min interjected, her smirk widening at their stunned expressions. She cradled the vial like a priceless treasure. "And do not even think about asking for more within the next hundred years."
The unspoken boast hung heavy in the air. In most cases, fighting alongside Xie Yingying would be far more effective than relying on her blood. This was strictly a last resort measure. Carefully, she guided the drop of Tianyin Essence Blood into the golden egg.
And then the egg transformed. The blinding golden radiance faded, replaced by an intertwining dance of black and white, the perfect balance of Yin and Yang. A moment later, the egg shattered.
"Phew. Still a Golden Crow. Did not turn into some scraggly chicken."
As Su Min muttered in relief, a blinding golden light erupted, carrying with it a pressure so immense that even she felt her knees buckle. The two divine beasts prostrated themselves instantly, their bodies trembling under the soul deep dominance of their bloodline's ruler.
"The gap between me and the Divine Transformation stage is still enormous. And this is not just any Divine Transformation cultivator."
At this moment, the rich golden light shot straight into the sky, like a sharp blade. The next moment, the ancient Fusang tree, which had been silent for countless years, was also activated. Its huge body released a light that was no weaker than the scorching sun, and it rose from the ground.
In an instant, the entire Eastern Mulberry Land was shaking. The spirit beasts of the three holy places all knelt down. Countless humans also felt the terrifying pressure, and none of them dared to move.
Deep within the Xuantian Mansion, Xie Yingying's eyes snapped open.
"The Golden Crow is being born. But why do I sense traces of my own aura? Did that idiot really feed her my essence blood?!"
She frowned, then shook her head. "Whatever. She knows what she is doing. And with Xuantian Mansion shielding me, it will not affect my breakthrough. Back to cultivation. There will be plenty of battles ahead."
Closing her eyes, she ignored the commotion outside. The spectacle did not last long. The ten thousand meter tall divine tree shrank rapidly, vanishing in the blink of an eye. Meanwhile, the Golden Crow's egg had dissolved into a sea of flames, flames Su Min knew all too well.
"The Sun True Flame and the Fusang Divine Tree. The two great legacies of the Golden Crow tribe. Impressive."
BOOM!
Before she could finish, a tidal wave of fire burst outward. A golden avian colossus emerged, the true form of the Three Legged Golden Crow, supreme ruler of its kind.
"We greet the Young Mistress!"
The Azure Dragon and the Peacock kneeled instantly, their bodies reverting to their true forms under the overwhelming bloodline suppression.
Only Su Min remained standing, calmly observing the magnificent creature. Golden feathers wreathed in living flames. Three massive talons beneath its body. And most strikingly, a crown of black and white plumage, thrumming with balanced Yin Yang energy.
"Heh. Seems like our little one got an extra gift."
Then light flashed.
The Golden Crow's massive form shrank rapidly, morphing into a golden haired, golden eyed young woman with a notably eye catching figure. Before Su Min could react, the girl tackled her in a flying hug, nuzzling against her like an overgrown puppy.
"Tch. What a waste."
Despite her inner lament, Su Min maintained a stern expression as she peeled the clingy Golden Crow off her.
"Huh?"
The girl blinked in confusion.
"Listen carefully. From now on, you are a grown up Golden Crow. So." Su Min held up three fingers. "One, put some clothes on. Two, get me out of this Sun True Flame prison. Three, your two retainers are probably freaking out outside."
"Oh."
Accepting the robes Su Min handed her, the Golden Crow dressed in a flicker of light, then immediately pouted.
"Too tight—OW!"
A chop to the head silenced her. Being at the Divine Transformation stage meant it only stung a little.
With a wave of her hand, the Golden Crow dispersed the Sun True Flame barrier, revealing the two frantic guardians outside.
"Young Mistress! Though you have hatched, you have not fully digested your ancestor's legacy! And Miss Su is at the peak of Golden Core, about to attempt her Nascent Soul breakthrough. She will not have time to indulge you!"
They spoke carefully. If the Golden Crow had hatched normally, she would only be at the Golden Core stage, still within their authority to discipline. But now, at the Divine Transformation stage, it was far beyond their reach.
"They are right," Su Min said sternly. "I made enemies during the Avenue. In a few decades, they will come for revenge, and we will need you to deal with their strongest fighters."
Seeing the serious expressions of all three, especially Su Min's, the Golden Crow finally relented.
"Fine."
She might be playful, but she was not stupid. Descending into the massive crater left by the Fusang Tree, she sat cross legged as golden runes began swirling around her.
"Good. She is starting her inheritance. We should enter seclusion too. By the time we emerge, we will be at the Nascent Soul stage."
The two divine beasts sighed in relief. Had the Golden Crow been weaker, they could have dragged her back by force. Now, they could only persuade her. As for Su Min's enemies, it was not a problem. Once the Golden Crow mastered her heritage, fighting multiple Divine Transformation experts at once would be trivial.
"Before you go into seclusion, Azure Dragon King, I need your sea beasts to gather some information for me."
"Information? About what?"
"The River of Weak Water."
"Absolutely not!"
The Azure Dragon King refused instantly. Weak Water, also known as the Underworld's River, could strip living beings of their vitality. Even Nascent Soul experts faced near certain death if they entered. His sea beasts, though some had reached the Golden Core stage, stood no chance.
"Relax. I just need its general flow direction. No need to get close."
"Why do you need that cursed water?"
Su Min smiled and produced a token. The moment the two divine beasts saw it, their expressions turned grave.
"The Black Tortoise's legacy. You are after the Northern Water's Profound Origin, are not you? Fine, I will handle it. But heed my warning, even with the Eastern Azure Wood's protection, you should wait until you reach the Divine Transformation stage before attempting this."
"I know."
Su Min was not in a rush. The world might be turbulent, but as long as she progressed steadily, her strength would keep rising.
"With this settled, I will return to the sect to give final instructions. Then, it is time for my seclusion."
With one last glance at the meditating Golden Crow, Su Min turned and left.
Soon, in the grand hall of the Eastern Sea Immortal Sect, Su Min sat at the head of the table, flanked by the sect's elders. Although the Grand Elder usually remained apart from daily affairs, no one dared question her authority. She was both the sect's founder and its strongest human cultivator.
"I have called you here for one matter. The Barrier Boundaries Formation will fully open in about ten years, and my seclusion may last decades. So once the barriers fall, I have a mission for you."
"Your orders?"
The current sect master stood and bowed deeply. Su Min unfurled a map she had drawn during her travels between realms.
"This is the layout of the surrounding territories."
"Other realms? But Grand Elder, how did you traverse them? Our ancestors were brought here by you, but even Golden Core cultivators cannot break the barriers now."
"I have a Void Shuttle," Su Min said dismissively. "But that is not the point. During the Avenue, I clashed with a sect and may have gone a bit overboard."
She smirked.
"I killed their Nine Nine Heavenly Tribulation Holy Son, along with dozens of Six Nine elites."
The entire hall gasped. Their sect had only one Six Nine survivor among all their Golden Core elders. The Nine Nine Tribulation was nearly mythical, yet Su Min had slaughtered such a genius.
"So I need you to operate quietly. Establish observation outposts in these continents and gather intelligence in secret. I need to know the current state of these regions."
"Understood."
Though puzzled, none dared question her. Not after witnessing the Golden Crow's birth. Su Min had her reasons, of course. She was tracking the movements of Fallen Immortals, a key element of the game's second chapter.
===
The Golden Crow literally their daughter in a sense. I mean she have Su Min and Xie Yingying essence blood.