After all, Paru needed rest, but as a Unity-stage powerhouse, Su Min could maintain high-intensity work for years, even decades, without so much as a yawn. Her reserves of spiritual power were so deep they were practically bottomless, and her concentration was an unbreakable thing, honed over millennia.
Any capitalist would be overjoyed at such relentless efficiency, but there was one key, crucial difference: Su Min could, and very likely would, send a capitalist's entire bloodline eighteen generations back to the heavens if they ever tried to exploit her. So, the most likely outcome was that no one would dare hire her as a Paru. The mere thought was a fast track to ancestral oblivion.
"Time to hand out pills! Pills for everyone!"
Her voice echoed with cheerful authority in the grand hall as she walked in with a large sack slung over her shoulder in an almost comical manner. The burlap bag looked utterly mundane, a stark contrast to the priceless treasures it contained. With a vigorous, almost casual shake, she upended it, sending countless delicate jade bottles tumbling out. They clattered messily in a shining heap in front of the two people, a chaotic jumble of potential and power. The sight made the hearts of every Unity Dao Comprehension expert in the room tremble with a mixture of awe and sheer panic.
"Please be gentle, Ancestor! Those are all priceless seventh-grade high-tier and eighth-grade pills!" one of them couldn't help but cry out, his voice tight with anxiety.
Many felt their hearts bleeding at the sight. These were high-grade pills, the kind that could spark wars or found dynasties! Only Su Min, who could refine them herself with her unparalleled skill, would ever treat them so carelessly. Everyone else would guard them more preciously than their own lives, storing them in layered arrays and warded vaults. Seeing Su Min toss them around like they were common sweets was nothing short of agony.
Of course, Su Min was well aware of their feelings—she just didn't particularly care. A faint, almost imperceptible smile might have touched her lips. As long as she was happy, that was enough. Besides, pills at this level weren't so fragile. You could stomp on them, and they'd still be perfectly fine. If an ordinary person ate one, they'd either explode from the uncontrolled energy or pass it out completely unchanged, their bodies unable to grasp even a fraction of its power.
With a flick of her hand, a surge of invisible spiritual power swept through the pile. In a perfectly orchestrated dance, all the pills flew up and shot precisely into the waiting hands of their respective owners. Each bottle was also lovingly sealed with a soul barrier, a shimmering layer of Su Min's own will that ensured not a single trace of the pill's potent aura could leak out unless the bottle was physically opened. Sure enough, the next moment, everyone's faces lit up with joy and relief. Then, in flashes of light that ripped through the air, the entire hall emptied as everyone vanished in the blink of an eye.
Clearly, they were all rushing to transport their precious pills back to their most secure bases. These pills were far too valuable to risk carrying around carelessly for even a moment longer than necessary. Su Min certainly wasn't going to deliver them personally; her role as benefactor was complete.
"Alright, that's settled. How did your negotiations go?"
Glancing at the now-empty hall, Su Min turned to Lin Yao behind her. Trivial matters like these, the endless political maneuvering and territorial disputes, were usually handled by the sect leader. Ancestors like her rarely involved themselves in such affairs, only stepping in when a problem required an overwhelming solution.
"What's there to negotiate? The main focus was on Emperor Artifacts and cultivators at the Unity stage and above. From now on, battles involving such individuals must take place in the void of space, or they'll face collective retaliation from all signatory powers."
"I see."
Su Min nodded. She had no reason to oppose this. It was simple, practical logic. Just look at her battle with the Skeleton Emperor—it was intense enough to shatter stars and rewrite maps. While the Heavenly Continent was far sturdier than ordinary planets, and even divided into multiple self-healing modules, such battles could still reduce entire regions to barren, lifeless rubble. This was a basic consensus, just like previous treaties. Since it benefited everyone by preserving the world they all lived on, it was quickly established.
As for the rest...
"Nothing else was agreed upon. Some smaller sects and weaker factions wanted to carve out territories, but that was never going to happen. The major powers would never cede an inch. Oh, and there was one other consensus: the exploration of the cosmos. Now that more cultivators are reaching the Unity stage, the universe is ready for development. The deep space beyond our world is the next frontier."
"The universe isn't so easy to explore. It's vast, cold, and full of countless hidden dangers. Some ancient entities even disguise themselves as entire planets to conceal their presence, waiting for prey to stumble into their grasp."
"True. The universe is far from peaceful," Lin Yao agreed wholeheartedly, a shadow of memory passing behind her eyes. After all, her own world had once harbored a fallen Mahayana expert, a parasite feeding on a planet's lifeblood. If not for Su Min stumbling upon it while searching for the Kirin clan in an ancient battlefield, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
"Since the discussions are pretty much over, let's head back. I need to prepare for my journey to the Other Shore. The sect will be in your hands from now on."
With matters mostly settled and Su Min now in possession of a mountain of materials gleaned from her adventures, it was time to return and refine them—specifically, to upgrade her trusted weapon to Heaven-grade high-tier. With such a sword in hand and the Future Bliss Bell, an Emperor Artifact, she had essentially maxed out all possible enhancements for the foreseeable future. Her combat power was at its zenith.
Of course, she also planned to spend some quality time with Xie Yingying before leaving. The thought of her possessive, practically-wife brought a genuine softness to Su Min's demeanor. Given her circumstances, Xie Yingying likely wouldn't sense the clear call of the Other Shore until she reached the Mahayana stage herself. Progressing from Unity to Mahayana, even with the full support of the sect's vast resources and Su Min's personal guidance, would probably take her two to three thousand years. That meant they wouldn't be seeing each other anytime soon. Thousands of years was no short span, even for long-lived cultivators, even for those at the Mahayana stage. It was a long time to miss someone.
But for Su Min, time had long since lost its meaning. Her immortality talent rendered decades and millennia into similar increments on an endless road. Especially after comprehending the Time Law, decades, centuries, even millennia—it all felt the same, just grains in an hourglass of infinite size. Just mastering the Time Law had cost her tens of thousands of years of lifespan, a price only she could afford to pay. The Sinful Buddha had taken ten lifetimes to enter the Time Dao, but she had done it in one, a testament to her terrifying aptitude.
Soon, inside the Immortal Sect...
Su Min sat cross-legged in her secluded chamber, the weapon that had accompanied her since her transmigration resting on her lap. It felt familiar and comfortable against her skin, a constant companion through countless battles. Staring at the sword lying atop her plush thighs, she fell into deep thought, contemplating the final form it would take. Then, without hesitation, she waved her hand, summoning the blazing aura of the Nanming Lihuo. In an instant, the entire room was engulfed in a scorching heat that warped the very air.
Her residence was now forged of special, fire-resistant materials. In fact, the entire structure was an Earth-grade treasure itself. The reason was simple, and a little embarrassing. Well, let's just say her old house had been melted one too many times during her refining sessions. Not that she particularly cared about luxury; she'd lived in a rundown bamboo hut for ten years without a single complaint. But constantly destroying and rebuilding her own room was just embarrassing, a needless hassle. So, she'd eventually crafted herself a house that doubled as a sturdy magic artifact, capable of withstanding her own power.
Whoosh—
The sound of the flames was a low, constant roar. Refining artifacts wasn't like refining pills; it was a more brutal, elemental process. This particular upgrade didn't require delicate control, especially when it was her own bonded weapon. It was all about brute force, about hammering the new materials into the old frame with overwhelming power, something even the little Golden Crow could probably manage. The room instantly turned into a personal furnace, flames dancing at Su Min's fingertips like loyal sprites. Priceless heavenly materials and rare ores glowed, then liquefied under the intense heat before being guided by her immense spiritual power into the waiting body of the weapon on her lap.
Crackle—
The chamber echoed with sizzling noises as the intense, focused heat melted the surrounding snow that perpetually capped the mountain peak. For hundreds of miles around, the temperature soared as if summer had arrived overnight, a wave of unnatural warmth spreading from her chamber.
"What kind of calamity is that senior causing now?"
In the city below the Immortal Sect, many were affected, looking up towards the source of the sudden change. The surge of pure life energy that accompanied the heat caused decorative plants and gardens to grow wildly, vines visibly creeping up walls and flowers blooming in an instant, leaving people grimacing at the unchecked growth.
Of course, everyone living here was a cultivator—even the children. A temperature shift from -10°C to 20°C was nothing to them, well within the human comfort range. But that didn't stop them from grumbling internally. Such a potent, pervasive life aura could only come from one person: Su Min, the founder and ultimate guardian of the Immortal Sect. Sadly, their complaints would go unanswered. Su Min didn't need to explain herself to anyone. She was a force of nature, and they were all living in her wake.
Time flowed steadily around her secluded peak—days bled into weeks, and then a full month passed. By the time real spring began to arrive outside, Su Min finally opened her eyes, a gleam of satisfaction within them. Most of the mountain of materials she'd gathered were now spent, transformed and integrated, but the results were worth it. Her weapon had officially ascended to Heaven-grade high-tier—a treasure fit for Mahayana experts, even those at the very peak of their power. While Emperor Artifacts were more powerful in theory, they weren't always practical as main weapons. Many emperors still wielded Heaven-grade high-tier artifacts like this one. This sword would serve Su Min well for many millennia to come, a partner in the conflicts that awaited.
"From now on, you shall be called the Five Elements Glazed Sword."
Smiling at the shimmering, multi-hued blade in her hand, Su Min had long since given up on any pretense of naming creativity. Practicality was its own elegance. The sword radiated a dazzling, harmonious glow, its new form resonating perfectly with her own Five Elements affinity. Holding it felt like an extension of her own being. With this weapon, her stats truly maxed out, she was unstoppable.
Now, it was finally time to depart for the Other Shore.
She might not stay there forever, but judging by Yao Xian'er and the little monk's experiences, she'd likely have her hands full from the moment she arrived. The situation there probably wasn't terrible, she reasoned, but it certainly wasn't peaceful either. A new chapter of challenges was calling.
===
Dear lovely readers,
If you've followed this novel all the way here, would you consider leaving a review? We're stepping into the final volume—your thoughts mean the world and help more readers discover this story.
Writing is a journey best shared, and your support (be it a review, a recommendation, or even a Ko-fi [if you're feeling extra generous]) fuels the chapters ahead. No pressure—just know every bit of love inspires more tales to tell.
Now, back to the story… let's make this finale unforgettable! (~˘▾˘)~
My [Ko-fi]! ☕️: https://ko-fi.com/rikhi