"Whew..."
Looking at the empty space where the Fallen One had been utterly annihilated, its malevolent aura completely dispersed, Su Min let out a quiet, weary sigh of relief. At her current strength, dealing with these half-step Dao Comprehension Stage beings was still quite difficult and draining. Of course, "difficult" was a far cry from her pre-Divine Transformation days when her only viable option against such a foe would have been to run for her life without looking back.
"My spiritual energy is nearly depleted," she muttered to herself, carefully assessing her internal state. Even with the help of those potent recovery pills, forcing out an attack powerful enough to burst that creature's spiritual limits as an early-stage Divine Transformation cultivator had pushed her meridians to the absolute brink.
Descending unsteadily from the sky, her legs feeling slightly weak, she was not in a hurry to withdraw the Golden Crow Ancient Bell. This was the perfect opportunity to recover safely. While she appeared relatively uninjured on the outside, the self-detonation-like attack had still taken a heavy internal toll, vibrating through her core. Fortunately, with her Holy Body now unlocked in three attributes, her physical resilience had reached a level where she could endure the violent backlash. But "endurable" was a relative term, right now, she felt thoroughly battered and hollowed out.
The Golden Crow Ancient Bell was her best protective barrier, allowing her to recover in perfect safety inside its luminous, secluded space. After all, this particular Fallen One was not the only one of his kind lurking in the world. Getting ambushed by another in her current weakened state would be a catastrophic disaster.
Three full days passed in deep, focused meditation within the bell's tranquil, energy-rich interior.
"The residual pill effects have completely cleared," she noted with satisfaction, feeling her energy flows stabilize and strengthen. "At my current base strength, taking on half-step Dao Comprehension Fallen Ones is still too much of a stretch. To kill them, I have to force them into a decisive fight to the death, expending everything in a single, overwhelming burst."
This brutal battle had given her a clear, sobering measure of the gap. While her overall combat power was formidable, outright killing them without paying a steep price was not easy. This one had simply been too arrogant and confident in his own abilities, letting her exploit a fatal opening with her unorthodox method. A drawn-out, conventional fight would have taken far longer and been far more dangerous. The lesson was clear: never reveal your ultimate trump cards carelessly, or you give your enemy a chance to adapt. Just like she had done, blindsiding him with a catastrophic explosion from within his own grasp.
It was safe to say this Fallen One had never encountered, or even conceived of, an early-stage Divine Transformation cultivator like her. Her ability to detonate all three Sacred Possessions simultaneously was still an unknown factor in the world; even during the intense pressure of the Sect Tournament, no one had forced her to use it. He had had no way of anticipating such a suicidal-looking, yet controlled, tactic.
"Might as well stall for a few more days," she decided, a tactical thought forming. "Battles between powerhouses at this level can often drag on for weeks. No need to rush out and reveal my quick victory. Let the wider world think I am just barely scraping by, locked in a difficult struggle."
With that thought, she settled back into a meditative pose, content to use the time to further consolidate her gains. But while she remained perfectly calm inside her golden sanctuary, the outside world was in a growing uproar.
The skies above the Southern Borderlands were now crowded with powerhouses who had sensed the colossal spiritual fluctuations. The immortal sects' representatives, Elder Zhu, and the Peacock King, both late-stage Divine Transformation experts, had gathered swiftly. This lineup alone surpassed what most second-tier sects could muster.
"What is Lady Su doing? Why has she not released the barrier yet?" Elder Zhu stared uneasily at the colossal, shimmering form of the Golden Crow Bell spanning the heavens. This was a former Dao Comprehension Stage expert they were potentially dealing with. The thought of Su Min facing him alone inside that dome seemed unwise, even for her.
He had already sent a urgent mental message through the barrier, urging her to release it so they could gang up on the enemy. But she had not responded, leaving him deeply unsettled. As a Divine Transformation expert who had joined the immortal sects primarily for Su Min's alchemical prowess, his loyalty and future hopes were tied directly to her survival. If something happened to her, his dreams of a future Dao Comprehension Pill would vanish into smoke.
"No need to worry," the Peacock King said, her voice utterly calm and melodic. "Lady Su's combat power rivals our young mistress's at the same stage. She would not engage without confidence. She must have her own strategy for this fight. We are just here as backup, a precaution." Unlike Elder Zhu, she held Su Min in deep awe, having witnessed her capabilities firsthand.
"Is that so?" Elder Zhu glanced at the stunningly beautiful woman in blue-green robes and sighed internally, dropping the matter. This was a rare, ancient divine beast. Though they shared the same cultivation level on paper, in a real, life-and-death fight, he knew he would be utterly crushed. If she was this confident, he would trust her judgment for now.
"Have your people evacuate this area temporarily," Elder Zhu said, his tone carrying a hint of command as he addressed the yellow-robed old man beside him. "If Lady Su cannot handle the enemy within, and we are forced to intervene, the clash of energies between the three of us working together would spell disaster for any mortals or low-level cultivators nearby."
"Rest assured, Elder," the old man, Cao Yuzhou, an ancestor of the Great Yong imperial family, replied with cautious deference. "Senior Bamboo and I have already relocated everyone within a fifty-mile radius. The area is clear."
Just then, another elder, emanating a clean, woody aura, arrived and bowed respectfully to Elder Zhu. "As per our master's orders, we have cleared the designated area." This elder was the bamboo spirit himself, and Elder Zhu acknowledged him with slightly more courtesy than he had the other elder. This being was essentially Su Min's own hand-planted protege. His entire foundation had been built using the spiritual energy from her discarded pill residues centuries ago, and his cultivation path had been indirectly arranged by her. As the saying went, "When you hit a dog, you must consider its master." Offending this bamboo spirit was unthinkable.
"If there is still no news or movement in another day, we will have to consider forcibly dismantling the Golden Crow Ancient Bell," Elder Zhu declared to the Peacock King, his eyes fixed on the magnificent, unmoving bell.
"Agreed. One more day," the Peacock King conceded with a slight nod.
DONG!!!
Just as they finalized their plan, a deep, resonant chime, like a mountain speaking, echoed across the land. The colossal bell shimmered and shrank rapidly before vanishing entirely into motes of golden light, leaving only a young woman in light blue robes floating calmly in the center of the sky, her expression serene.
"Lady Su, where is the enemy?" Elder Zhu asked urgently, his spiritual sense sweeping the area but finding nothing.
"Dead," Su Min replied casually, as if stating the weather. "Utterly annihilated. There is nothing left."
Elder Zhu gulped audibly. Against such an opponent, without the protection of a treasure like the Golden Crow Ancient Bell, his only option would have been immediate flight. Yet Su Min had not even relied on external tools to kill him, she had merely used the bell as a sealed arena for their private duel, confident in her own power to prevail.
Shaking his head in disbelief, he let the matter go. The sheer, awe-inspiring terror Su Min could inspire was once again made abundantly clear.
"This junior, Cao Yuzhou, pays respects to the immortal sects' founder," the yellow-robed elder said, stepping forward and bowing so deeply his forehead nearly touched the ground. "My great-grandfather was Cao Yuanmu, who had the honor of serving you."
"Oh?" Su Min blinked, her gaze becoming slightly more focused, then she studied the man's face. His features did bear some resemblance to that long-ago figure from the Great Yong court. Her tone, however, remained flat. "I see."
It was neither warm nor cold, simply neutral, like morning mist sliding past an ancient stone. The old man's eager, hopeful smile faltered and faded. After a brief, respectful nod, he silently withdrew to the periphery. She did not stop him. There was no warmth or recognition to offer. What would be the point? That particular line of history had long grown faint and irrelevant to her. No matter how many generations of descendants bowed at her feet, none of their reverence could turn the dusty past into something living and meaningful again.
But her gaze softened almost imperceptibly as it fell upon the other elder, the bamboo spirit.
A bamboo demon. Slender, tall, his aura quiet and unassuming, the kind of being often overlooked in a crowd. She had nearly missed him entirely upon her arrival. Plant demons were notoriously, painstakingly slow to cultivate, especially bamboo, which was not known for longevity. Centuries ago, she had simply scattered a handful of spiritual seeds in a quiet mountain glade, more out of casual curiosity than any real intent. She had expected some might take root and reach Foundation Establishment over the decades. Golden Core? Full, conscious sentience? That had felt like a distant fantasy at the time.
"Only you remain?" she asked, her voice quieter than before, losing its edge.
"Yes," the bamboo demon said, his voice carrying a quiet, natural melancholy. "The others… they perished near the Foundation Establishment stage, unable to cross the threshold."
Of course. Bamboo, unlike ancient trees, did not live for millennia even in the mortal world. A century was often their limit. In this spirit-rich realm, that lifespan was stretched, but not indefinitely, especially for those struggling to advance.
Su Min was silent for a long moment. She had nearly forgotten about them, those scattered seeds from a lifetime ago. Just a flicker of effort, a momentary whim from her centuries past, and yet… this one had survived. Not because of any ongoing care from her. But because he himself had endured, had persevered through the silent, lonely centuries.
That realization hit her softly, without fanfare, like snow gathering silently on a windowpane. Quiet. Inevitable. A testament to a will separate from her own.
After a long, slow breath that misted in the cool air, she said, "Thank you. For watching over this place."
The bamboo demon lowered his head humbly. "It was a quiet duty. One I was glad to bear."
And with that, Su Min prepared to leave. She had recovered her strength, tied up the loose ends of her obligations here. There was nothing left for her in this place of memory.
Besides...
"Lady Su," an attendant from the Eastern Sea Immortal Sect said, hurrying forward with a communication jade. "There are new reports, urgent ones. Unusual spiritual activity has been detected in the Tianhan Snow Plains."
Su Min halted mid-step. Her entire demeanor sharpened immediately, her previous languidness vanishing.
"The Tianhan Snow Plains?" Her voice was low, intent.
Her eyes narrowed. The Tianhan Snow Plains were vast, a perpetually frozen land of ice and howling winds that rivaled the combined size of the four central continents. Xie Yingying had gone there to seek her own opportunity, her own destiny, and had not returned. That fact had been a constant, low hum of worry in the back of Su Min's mind, a tension she carried always.
If not for this Fallen One's sudden appearance in her homeland, she would have headed there immediately after the conference. The delay had been merely a few months, a mere blink for beings with their longevity, but to Su Min, it had felt infinitely longer.
"Something seems to have emerged from the deep ice there," the attendant continued, his voice tense. "Our scouts report that at least three Fallen Ones are now lying in wait near the primary entrance, likely aiming to ambush any powerful cultivators heading that way. As for Lady Xie's specific situation, it is… unknown. Our divinations cannot pierce the glacial interference."
"Understood."
Su Min's gaze turned icy, a cold fire igniting in their depths. Without another moment of hesitation, she turned and addressed the two powerhouses beside her. "I will leave the security of this place to you. I am heading to the Tianhan Snow Plains. Immediately."
After delivering a few brief, crisp instructions regarding sect security, she transformed into a streak of brilliant light and shot northward, vanishing into the horizon so quickly she seemed to tear a line through the sky itself, leaving behind an envious Elder Zhu. He truly admired Su Min's freedom to come and go as she pleased, answering to no one. But the thought of voluntarily walking into a trap set by three Fallen Ones sent chills down his spine; his old, fragile body was simply not cut out for that level of brutal confrontation.
The Peacock King said nothing, merely watching the northern sky where Su Min had disappeared. With the little Golden Crow and the Azure Dragon King both in deep seclusion, she had the heavy responsibility of guarding the Eastern Mulberry Continent in their stead.
Su Min crossed the entirety of the sprawling Wei-Wu Continent in under an hour, her speed defying belief. But the Tianhan Snow Plains were still far away, a true forbidden zone at the edge of the known world, where temperatures never rose far above -40°C, even in what passed for summer. In eras of sparse spiritual energy, few lifeforms of any kind could survive there for long.
But now, in this age of abundant energy, things were different. Extreme environments bred unique, powerful resources, and countless materials ideal for ice-attribute cultivation were rumored to grow deep within the frozen wastes. However, entering safely required at least a Golden Core foundation. Beyond the bitter, soul-numbing cold, terrifying ice storms, more like spiritual disasters than earthly weather, could appear without warning and shred the unprepared to frozen particles instantly.
But for Su Min, now at the Divine Transformation stage and master of the Northern Water's Profound Origin, this was no issue. Moreover, ice was merely an extension of water's domain; with her constitution, the penetrating cold meant nothing to her. It was as comfortable as a spring breeze.
But she knew well, with a cold knot tightening in her stomach, that it was not the physical cold she feared.
It was the silence.
The silence of not knowing.
Because somewhere in that frozen, lightless desolation...
Xie Yingying was waiting for her.
Or worse, after all this time, she was not.
And for Su Min, who had long ago sealed her heart against the world, who had built walls of ice around her own soul to keep from feeling the passage of endless years and the loss of everyone she ever knew...
That particular silence, the silence of a world without Xie Yingying in it, was the only kind of cold she still truly feared.