Cao Yuanmu's voice was measured, but his words sent a ripple of unease through the room. "I wonder if Senior would consider becoming an eternal guardian of our imperial family, receiving worship for generations to come."
A strange silence fell. The officials and cultivators standing nearby exchanged uneasy glances. If Su Min accepted, they would all be forever bound as servants to the throne. The weight of the offer was immense. Not only was Su Min's personal power terrifying, but her alchemy skills were a unique treasure. Her Foundation Establishment Pills were one of the few reliable methods to enhance power without crippling side effects, a resource they couldn't afford to lose.
Su Min observed their shifting expressions and didn't refuse outright. Instead, a faint, knowing smile touched her lips. "Are you aware," she asked, her tone conversational, "that in the current world, the Golden Core stage is the limit?"
A collective "Hmm?" of confusion rose from the group. They were momentarily stunned, her question pulling them from their political calculations into deeper, more personal thoughts.
"Now that past grievances are settled, I have no more attachments in this world," Su Min continued, her gaze looking past them, into the distance. "What I seek now is the eternal path of the Great Dao."
A soft, collective sigh of understanding, and perhaps relief, passed through the room. Cao Yuanmu bowed deeply, the gesture full of respect. He understood her meaning perfectly. This was her way of letting him down gently. To press further would only create embarrassment.
The others felt a weight lift from their shoulders, but it was quickly replaced by a somber gloom. Su Min's words made it clear that once they parted, it would be a final farewell. They were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, but none possessed the confidence to face the monstrous Triple Nine Heavenly Tribulation. The bitter truth was that many of them were even older than Su Min, their own paths already reaching their ends.
Several days later, Su Min sat in a quiet pavilion overlooking a vast ceremonial plaza. Tens of thousands of people paid homage below in a spectacle that had taken a full year to prepare. Leaders had come from the grasslands, the southern borders, and the deserts. Even the masters of the major sects were in attendance.
On the central stage stood King Yong. His cultivation was now impressive, having reached the Foundation Establishment stage. The aura he released was enough to force countless attendees to bow their heads in reverence. He clearly possessed the power and prestige to be called the supreme ruler of the world.
"That little guy insisted on using the Lingdong Pill," Su Min remarked with mild interest, observing the new emperor from her secluded spot. "His aura is so unstable now. He will likely be stuck at this stage for life. With his talent, if he had accumulated his power for another decade or so, he could have taken a proper Foundation Establishment Pill instead."
"Senior, he will probably never have a chance to fight in his lifetime," said Cao Yuanmu, who had been assigned to keep her company. He offered a bitter smile. As the emperor, King Yong would be buried under endless court affairs. And with their group of Foundation Establishment experts around, if the emperor ever had to fight personally, it would mean the nation was already on the verge of collapse. At that point, one more fighter would not make a difference.
Besides, the difference in lifespan between the early and mid Foundation Establishment stages was not significant. This was simply a way to extend his life. After lengthy discussions, and due to the Yong King's own fervent insistence, the imperial family had specially requested Su Min to refine the Lingdong Pill for him.
It was a pill with devastating side effects. When paired with a Foundation Establishment Pill, it could forcibly create a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but at the cost of the user being permanently stalled at the initial stage. For any cultivator with ambition, it was an unacceptable trade off. The ingredients were also extremely rare, making the pill costly to produce. But since the Yong King did not mind, Su Min saw no reason to argue.
By noon, the grand ceremony concluded, leaving the guests satisfied. Su Min prepared to leave. By now, none of the major factions in the world could offer materials of any real value to her. She had already accumulated plenty of treasures. It was time to set out and conquer the Three Great Blessed Lands.
Her eyes narrowed with focus as she contemplated her goal. The three lands were the legacy sites of three divine beast clans. While human experts could seal themselves away to wait for a new age, divine beasts could not. Instead, they had left their inheritances behind before turning to dust.
The three lands were interconnected. The massive island above the sea was the Eastern Mulberry Land, the ancestral home of the Golden Crow clan. The Floating Sky Islands were scattered in the skies above it, and the Crystal Palace lay hidden at the bottom of the sea below. In the game she remembered, players could claim all three at once, and that was precisely her goal. Not only did these lands contain vast resources, but her Path of Merit and Path of Salvation also destined her to found a sect of her own.
The Eastern Mulberry Land was the heart of the three sacred sites. At its center grew a towering divine tree, a counterpart to the Southern Ming Flame, known as the Fusang Divine Tree. On one of its branches rested an egg containing a Three Legged Golden Crow, the future ruler of the clan. It also held their divine flame, the Solar True Flame.
A gleam of determination shone in Su Min's eyes. That Three Legged Golden Crow was her main target. If she could subdue it and make it the sect's guardian beast, she would never have to worry about the sect's safety, even after she reached the Golden Core stage. Taming it would be incredibly difficult, but not impossible.
The other two lands also had their own guardians. An Azure Dragon watched over the undersea Crystal Palace, and a Great Peacock that wielded the powerful Five Colored Divine Light resided in the Floating Sky Islands. If she could subdue all three, she would gain control over their treasures. But to make them submit willingly, she needed specific items, things that could not be found in Wei Wu State.
So, she had to leave.
The world of the Immortal Path was far vaster than most imagined. It was divided into multiple states, each a semi independent realm separated by a boundary barrier. Currently, these realms were isolated, unable to interact. Her destination was one of the largest among them, Great Luo Tian State.
If Wei Wu State was roughly the size of East Asia combined with parts of Southeast Asia, then Great Luo Tian State was as large as the combined continents of Europe, Asia, and Africa, perhaps even larger. If she could not find what she needed there, she would have little chance elsewhere. She would have to search state by state, relying on nothing but luck.
"I must avoid Lingxi State," she muttered to herself. "Those monks' territory is best left untouched."
With that thought, she retrieved the Flying Shuttle, her most valuable spoil from the old demoness. Even in the game, it had been a key quest item. As she infused it with spiritual energy, the palm sized shuttle expanded rapidly. In an instant, it transformed into a massive, three story fortress nearly forty meters long.
"So big," she sighed, rubbing her temples at the blatant defiance of physical laws. "I guess I can only use this for inter state travel." The thing was far too conspicuous. For regular travel, she would stick to her flying sword. It was sleeker, and even if it drew attention, no one would be foolish enough to challenge a Golden Core expert over a mere Yellow Tier mid grade spiritual tool.
At the Golden Core stage, one could melt Yellow Tier materials with their own spiritual flames. Crafting such items was not particularly difficult. Thus, Su Min boarded the shuttle and crossed the barrier between realms.
She emerged in Huo Luo State, a place adjacent to Wei Wu State and of a similar power level. "Best not to stir trouble here," she reminded herself. "Great Luo Tian State is still far away."
Muttering softly, she summoned her flying sword and shot across the sky like a streak of light. Chaos erupted on the ground below as countless Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining cultivators trembled under the oppressive pressure of a Golden Core expert. But like Wei Wu State, Huo Luo State had no native Golden Core cultivators. Su Min was a transmigrator, while the old demoness had been self sealed. The boldest among the local cultivators tried to pursue her, but they could not even keep up with her shadow. No matter how hard they pushed, they were left eating her dust.
Half a year later, after traversing multiple states, Su Min finally arrived at her destination, Great Luo Tian State.
The moment she entered, dense spiritual energy washed over her, refreshing her mind and spirit. Unfortunately, her cultivation was still bound by the world's limits, and no amount of spiritual energy could change that.
"In the game, Great Luo Tian State had five ancient sects, each with a profound legacy," she recalled. "For appearances alone, they should each have at least three Golden Core experts right now."
Now that she was here, she knew she had to be cautious. These sects had countless self sealed experts in reserve. While most of their currently active Golden Core cultivators were not top tier, the truly talented ones being still sealed away, they still posed a threat. More importantly, these sects possessed high tier magical treasures. If Su Min acted too boldly, she could end up surrounded. That said, she was not overly worried. As a master alchemist, they would not recklessly antagonize her. Self preservation was not an issue. And even if they did try to kill her, she was not defenseless. Her target was the stores of these major sects.
While materials and herbs could be preserved for centuries, pills could not. These sects likely had vast stores of rare ingredients but not many finished, high quality pills. That meant she could name her price.
"Great Luo Tian State is vast, but the core lies in a few key locations," she mused. "I will gather intelligence first. I need the right moment to make my entrance."
With that, she summoned her sword again. She had a lot to prepare. Except for her bell, all her current treasures were Yellow Tier. She needed to upgrade everything, especially her armor, which had been destroyed during her tribulation. Now that she had reached the Golden Core stage, she would face true elites, not the impoverished cultivators of Wei Wu State. Equipment superiority alone would not be enough anymore. She needed a vast amount of materials.
Her bargaining chips were the pills she carried and her alchemy skills. Even in ancient times, no one would reject such an offer.
Soon, she was in a major city.
"As expected of Great Luo Tian State," she murmured, genuinely surprised. "The number of strong cultivators is astounding." Foundation Establishment experts, who were rare and respected figures in Wei Wu State, were everywhere here. The state's true advantage lay not just in its spiritual richness, but in its unbroken lineages. During the spiritual decline, most states could only produce Body Refining cultivators, yet this place had preserved ancient traditions. Unlike Wei Wu State, which relied solely on heavenly revelations, Great Luo Tian State had thriving, passed down legacies. The number of cultivators here was immense.
Top tier experts, however, were still rare. The Triple Nine Heavenly Tribulation was no joke. Those with real talent and backing preferred to self seal rather than risk a breakthrough in this limited era. Once the true Golden Core era began, though, the number of Golden Core experts would skyrocket. Even so, Su Min would not act arrogantly here.
Just look at her "achievements" in the last war, she thought wryly. Zero kills. Before even reaching the Wei capital, she had not needed to fight. The old witch was killed by her own Blood Infant, and the emperor was torn apart by his own concubines.
"Come see! Come see!" a loud announcement snapped her out of her thoughts. "The Great Luo Tian State Grand Tournament, held every three years, will begin in three months at Sky Summit City! The Qi Refining division's champion will receive a chance at Heavenly Foundation Establishment!"
"Heavenly Foundation Establishment?" Su Min's interest was immediately piqued. This was not something easily obtained. Even in Wei Wu State, she had not heard of anyone else achieving it besides herself. Prince Yong's new Foundation Establishment expert had only reached Earthly Foundation Establishment. The wood attribute innate treasure required for Heavenly Foundation was simply too rare. Not everyone could be like her, spending ten years as a guardian beast to obtain one.
"A tournament every three years, with Heavenly Foundation as the prize," she mused, her expression turning thoughtful. "I see. A compromise, then." She quickly pieced it together. Given the superior environment here, the five great elemental treasures likely regenerated every three years. While more frequent, they were also fiercely contested, especially with the five great sects dominating the state. Ordinary cultivators would have no chance. The sects had therefore agreed to pool the treasures and distribute them through a public tournament. Over time, it had evolved into a grand event open to both sect disciples and rogue cultivators.
Of course, without complete legacies, the rogue cultivators stood little chance against the sect disciples. Su Min, however, had no interest in participating. As a Golden Core expert, causing trouble here would invite a joint suppression from all five sects.
"But this is great news for me," she realized, a smile forming on her lips. "With all five sects gathered in one place, I can negotiate freely. As long as I do not threaten their core interests, they will not act against me."
Smiling, she turned and left the announcement area. Whether she could obtain all the materials she needed hinged on this opportunity. There would not be a better one.
"I still have over a dozen Foundation Establishment Pills, thirty plus Qi Gathering Pills, and a hundred plus Qi Inducing Pills," she thought, glancing into her ancient black ring. "Heh, I have squeezed Wei Wu State dry. It will take them at least forty or fifty years to recover. Let us see what I can extract from this continent." These pills were as good as currency here. As for the rest of her inventory, they were specialized items, useless to most but priceless to a few. The pill she had made for Xie Yingying was one such example. She would not even take it herself if offered for free. The Yin energy within it was overwhelming. Refining it had been torturous, and while consuming it would not be lethal, it would cause unbearable discomfort. She had made two but kept neither. Even with her Nanming Lihuo shielding her, she would not dare take it, much less an ordinary cultivator.
"Sky Summit City lies at the continent's center, far from here," she noted, consulting the world map she had bought. "I need to hurry."
With a flash, her flying sword reappeared under her feet, and she shot off like a meteor. This time, she deliberately avoided flying over cities and suppressed her aura, ensuring she did not alarm anyone unnecessarily.
Within a week, she reached the outskirts of Sky Summit City.
"So many powerful auras," she observed, her eyes narrowing. "There are at least three Golden Core experts here, probably one from each of the five great sects. Impressive." No wonder that old witch had hidden in a backwater like Wei Wu State. If she had tried the same nonsense here, she would have been killed the moment she showed herself.
With that thought, Su Min landed far from the city gates and proceeded inside on foot.