Soon, ten years later, the bustling activity at the immortal sect finally subsided, and the place returned to its usual quiet, serene state.
"Mobilizing the entire cultivation world to search every corner of the cosmos has finally gathered enough materials. I need to prepare a pill to break through to the late Mahayana stage, and one high-quality pill should be enough." After finally sending all the petitioners away, Su Min finally had time to take stock of her massive gains. The materials were unexpectedly abundant, a true reflection of the accumulated wealth of the entire universe, gathered through a decade of frantic searching by its most powerful experts.
This time, Su Min chose to venture deep into the starry skies again, far from any inhabited world. She intended to refine an extremely high-tier dark pill, one that would allow her to quickly advance to the late Mahayana stage and even bring her Chaos Body close to its final state of perfection.
"The only regret is that I can't enter the core depths of the Dark Universe to do this. If they send someone to ambush me again through a hidden passage, it would be very troublesome." Muttering to herself, Su Min arrived at a remote, lifeless corner of the cosmos. With a wave of her hand, a massive, intricately carved cauldron materialized before her, floating in the void.
"The Dark Continent has improved quite a bit now, its corrosive aura lessened. It's a shame that I left right after refining the last pill and didn't continue absorbing the turbid energy to purify it further. But this time, I'll give you all a chance to recover more." Looking down in the general direction of the Dark Starry Sky, Su Min felt a pang of regret. She should have continued the purification process back then, but she had no choice when that True Immortal fought her so desperately. So, at the time, Su Min had to prioritize dealing with the immediate threat of the Nether Prison. But now, she finally had the time and the means to continue her work.
"This time, I can attempt to refine a true Nine-Colored Golden Pill." Under normal circumstances, refining a Nine-Colored Golden Pill with her current material quality would be nearly impossible. Although she had a lot of ingredients, the sheer purity and energy density required still wasn't enough to produce a perfect Golden Pill through conventional means.
But this time, she planned to infuse it with as much raw turbid energy as possible, using the chaotic power to forcibly elevate its grade. Of course, cutting corners like this usually resulted in a pill that would be instantly lethal to anyone who consumed it, whether they were cultivators from her world of clear qi or those native to the turbid Burial Mound Nether Realm. A volatile mix of pure and turbid energy was extremely toxic, and even true immortals wouldn't fare well after consuming such an unstable concoction.
"Let the refining begin." In an instant, Su Min waved her hand, and countless rare, glowing materials poured into her cauldron. At the same time, the vast reserves of turbid energy in the entire dark region began to churn violently, drawn by her will. Her cauldron started devouring the turbid energy like a whale drinking water, forming a visible vortex of dark power.
At this moment, the group of upper immortals in the Nether Prison suddenly widened their eyes in unison, sensing the disturbance through the dimensional passage.
"What is she doing? Is she absorbing turbid energy on such a massive scale? But that can't be right, even we immortals wouldn't dare absorb it so recklessly and directly." The group in the Nether Prison exchanged glances of disbelief, staring intently at the faint passage on the other side. The only problem was that the passage was still too small and unstable, they couldn't cross over, nor could they even pinpoint her exact location through the interference.
"Is she preparing to undergo the immortal tribulation? But that shouldn't be the case. According to all reports, her cultivation is likely at the early or middle Mahayana stage. No matter how fast she is, she couldn't possibly reach the immortal tribulation in just a few decades. So then, what is this energy surge for?" In that instant, the group looked at each other, confusion on their faces. Under normal circumstances, Su Min's cultivation base wouldn't allow her to advance to the late Mahayana stage in just a few decades.
As for the immortal tribulation, that was even more impossible. The immortal tribulation would cause upheaval across the entire universe, with far greater commotion and celestial phenomena than this. If that happened, their task would be simpler, to release curses from afar to sabotage her tribulation. But since they couldn't lock onto her now, it meant she wasn't undergoing the tribulation.
"Wait, I remember now. She must be refining a pill! According to intelligence reports, she's an extremely skilled alchemist who once refined a Nine-Colored Pill right under that True Immortal's nose. The violent turbulence in the turbid energy now must mean she's using it as a base material for refining." One of the immortals exclaimed, piecing it together.
"Is she insane? A pill mixed with pure and turbid energy, isn't she afraid of poisoning herself to death?" Hearing this, the group exchanged uneasy glances. Even they, beings of the turbid lands, wouldn't dare consume something so unstable, it was far too dangerous. But was this woman truly unafraid of death? And the energy signature indicated this was clearly another Nine-Colored Pill in the making.
"Seeking death!!!" Though they cursed inwardly, they all knew things likely wouldn't go as they hoped. If she dared to refine it, she must have a way to handle it. At the Mahayana stage, no one would believe she was an idiot recklessly courting death.
"Don't hold onto any wishful thinking. Once the pill takes form and solidifies, her location will inevitably be exposed by the concentrated heavenly energy. At that point, we'll proceed with the original plan and use the Zhexian Curse without hesitation." The leader declared coldly.
"Yes." The others responded grimly.
Back in the dark universe, Su Min stood with her arms crossed, calmly observing everything before her. The pill forming in her cauldron represented nearly all of her recently acquired wealth. A Nine-Colored Pill, especially one she was pushing to the Golden grade, required an immense, almost ridiculous amount of materials just for a single refinement attempt. If this batch exploded or failed, she would be financially and resourcefully devastated.
"The Chaos Fire has significantly improved my control and efficiency in alchemy. This pill might even become the highest-tier Nine-Colored Golden Pill. At this level, even those at the Transcendence stage or beyond would desperately desire it." Watching the swirling energies in the cauldron, Su Min mused to herself.
The Nine-Colored Golden Pill was already considered the pinnacle of pills in this era. What lay beyond was unclear, even the legendary Medicine Buddha of ancient times hadn't reached that mythical level in his records. So, for now, the Nine-Colored Golden Pill was the ultimate achievement. Of course, consuming such a pill wouldn't cause a qualitative transformation for those at the peak of power, but it could rapidly restore all expended energy and heal any injury.
However, the specific pill in Su Min's hands, infused with chaotic turbid qi, would be lethal to anyone but her. This was a pill tailored only for her own unique physique, by mixing pure and turbid energy, she was forcibly elevating its quality from what would have been a Nine-Colored Silver Pill to a true Nine-Colored Golden Pill.
"Hum..."
At this moment, the cauldron was spewing out all the surrounding refined dark matter, having absorbed all it could, and the dark region was visibly shrinking at a rapid, alarming pace. The energy consumption of a Golden Pill was thousands of times greater than that of a Copper Pill. In the blink of an eye, it had devoured the turbid qi of an area that would have taken natural processes millennia to accumulate. In less than a year of refining, the diameter of the entire dark universe had shrunk by one-tenth, something that would have been utterly unthinkable before. After all, the dark regions had only ever expanded, slowly corrupting new territories, never decreased.
Meanwhile, in the Nether Prison, the group of immortals watched in horror. Though they couldn't cross over, they could sense the dark region's palpable shrinkage through their connection. "A Nine-Colored Golden Pill. The energy required is monstrous. But this might be for the best. Once the pill matures and solidifies, it will trigger a massive, localized surge of heavenly law energy. At that point, her location will be as bright as a beacon, and we can unleash the Zhexian Curse.
Even if she manages to become an immortal in that moment, she will die without fail." The leading upper immortal spoke with a ruthless glint in his eyes. They were all high-ranking, proud figures, each of the five great families had over a thousand immortals in total. But there were only about ten upper immortals per family, the true pillars of power, so they usually lived in luxury and reverence.
Now, however, they were reduced to mere sacrificial offerings for a curse. Their resentment ran deep, but they had all sworn unbreakable heart oaths to their clan patriarchs. There was no room for regret, otherwise, they would die without a proper burial place, their souls scattered. So, they had no choice but to see this through. At the same time, in the dark universe, Su Min slowly opened her eyes after decades of concentration and suddenly slammed the lid of the cauldron with her palm. A perfectly round, pulsating pill shot out into the sky, radiating immense power.
In that instant, the very fabric of space around her trembled.
"Here it comes, the final energy surge of a forming Nine-Colored Golden Pill." Seeing this, Su Min took a deep breath. This time, it had taken her a full thirty years of continuous, focused effort to perfect this single pill. She planned to use it to break through to the late Mahayana stage, or even the peak, in one go. As for the final, most terrifying immortal tribulation, she would wait for the right opportunity, there was no rush.
Once she consumed this pill, her Chaos Body would reach near-perfection. Even if her cultivation level technically remained at the late Mahayana stage, she could confidently claim to be invincible in this world, able to crush any immortal below the King level. At that point, she could simply block the entrance to the Burial Lands permanently. If they dared send anyone through, she would attack them from across worlds. Even if so-called true immortals came, they would die without fail before her.
—
Meanwhile, in the Nether Prison... "Everyone, form the array now! Release the Zhexian Curse!" At this moment, the ten upper immortals opened their eyes simultaneously, their auras erupting as they formed an interlocking, complex grand formation, their lives and power intertwining.
Back in the dark universe, Su Min watched the intense energy surge around the pill with a solemn expression. In her perception, countless rays of light, the laws of heaven and earth, converged towards the pill at this moment. Waves of energy that even made her heart tremble gathered together. She instantly retreated tens of thousands of kilometers, putting a safe distance between herself and the epicenter. This distance was safe enough for her.
Once the Nine-Colored Golden Pill fully took form, its initial power discharge could reach the level of a Mahayana stage full-force attack. According to the Medicine Buddha's records, when he refined his one and only Nine-Colored Golden Pill, he needed five late-Mahayana experts to protect him from the backlash before he could safely retrieve it. This only showed that the Medicine Buddha's personal combat prowess wasn't particularly outstanding, at least compared to Su Min, who was far stronger physically and magically. So, she alone was enough to handle the aftermath. Besides, she didn't have that many late-Mahayana experts on hand anyway.
Boom!
Almost immediately after she settled into position, the converging energy solidified into a torrential flood, transforming into countless divine phenomena, mythical beasts, and celestial apparitions. It was said that when a Golden Pill formed, all the legendary beasts of the Brahma Heaven would manifest here in phantom form to witness it. At the same time, Su Min closely observed everything before her. As someone preparing to face the immortal tribulation soon, this was the best opportunity to observe the workings of heavenly laws at their most concentrated.
But then...
"!!!"
Su Min suddenly froze mid-air, a sharp, inexplicable pain lancing through her soul. She clutched her chest, her face paling slightly. In the Nether Prison, the ten upper immortals had pushed their cultivation to the absolute limit, burning their essence, their souls, and their lifeforce. The entire region of the Nether Prison they occupied began to crack and collapse, the space teetering on the brink of total destruction. Ten upper immortals burning their cultivation at full power was a terrifying sight that would shake the foundations of any world. If this were a normal, stable universe, the shockwaves alone would cause the cosmos to tremble and nearly collapse.
But in their eyes, their ultimate sacrifice was worth it to eliminate the Chaos Body. At this moment, a massive, bloody, and profoundly sinister runic symbol, the forbidden Zhexian Curse, had been completed in the air above them. Guided by the karma of the target and the immense energy of the pill formation, it transformed into a barely visible streak of light and shot through the dimensional passage, striking its target.
Cough!
At that moment, Su Min suddenly spat out a mouthful of golden blood. She felt a strange, cold sensation wash over her, as if her lifespan was being rapidly drained away, and then, just as suddenly, the sensation vanished completely, and nothing else happened. The feeling was gone as if it had never been.
"What the hell was that?" Su Min blinked in confusion, wiping the blood from her lip, unsure of what had just occurred. She had long ago chosen the Immortality talent, a fundamental ability that granted her an infinite lifespan and eternal youth, halting her aging at the peak of her physical prime. Besides, at her current level of power and physique, any ordinary life-draining curse should have been simply ignored or shrugged off. So, after a moment of bafflement, she quickly dismissed the strange incident and focused entirely on the terrifying lightning and phenomena gathering around the forming pill before her.
—
Meanwhile, in the Burial Ground Nether Realm, the faces of the five clan patriarchs monitoring the ritual lit up with ecstasy, followed by maniacal laughter that echoed through their grand halls.
"Hahaha! Perfect! It hit! The Chaos Body, the second Chaos Body since the dawn of creation, will perish here today! We can rest easy from now on!" The patriarchs of the five great families exchanged satisfied, triumphant looks. The cost had pained them deeply, sacrificing two of their precious upper immortals each, but now that the Immortal-Severing Curse had been successfully unleashed and had clearly struck its target, it no longer mattered. After all, even that legendary first Chaos Body wielder, who had once slaughtered his way through the Burial Ground Nether Realm and nearly surpassed the very limits of immortality, had ultimately fallen to this very curse.
Back then, it had taken the sacrifice of ten king-level immortals, equivalent to their own ranks, to power the curse to kill him. And even then, the Chaos Body wielder had used his final moments to slaughter all remaining immortals in a rage, including those at the Mahayana stage who got in his way. Since that ancient cataclysm, even after all this time, they had never fully recovered their former numbers and power.
"Now we can rest easy. We don't know how that woman achieved the Chaos Body, but she is as good as dead. Have someone guard the entrance in case she tries to take us down with her in her final moments." One patriarch ordered.
"She won't be able to do anything even if she tries. She's only at the Mahayana stage. If she dares charge into the Burial Ground Nether Realm now, any one of us can kill her easily. With the lifespan drain of the Zhexian Curse, she'll never survive the immortal tribulation; her remaining life is now measured in centuries at best." Another sneered.
"Our master's task is now complete. Should we report the good news immediately?"
"Not yet. We don't have a wielder of the Time Law to send a message backwards. To report to the master in the future, we must wait for the specific time node to arrive, about fifty thousand years from now according to the prophecy."
"Tch."
The group could only sigh in frustration at the delay. But it didn't truly matter. As immortals, time meant nothing to them. Now that their primary mission was complete, they could peacefully await their master's promised reward, a method to surpass immortality itself.
—
Meanwhile, back in the dark universe... The thunderclouds and celestial phenomena before Su Min gradually dissipated, having expended their energy, revealing a brilliant, perfectly golden pill suspended serenely in the air. Without a moment's hesitation, she flew toward it to claim her prize. In an instant, as she reached for it, the pill shimmered and two small, energy-constructed hands emerged from its light, meeting her own in a brief clash, and the pill's form was sent flying backward from the impact.
"Oh? It took on my appearance and can even mimic my energy. It must have absorbed a lot of my Chaos energy during the refinement, making its spiritual essence resemble me closely. What a pity. If it had a thousand years to develop full sentience and independence, I might have hesitated to consume it. But now..." With that, Su Min gathered all her strength and slapped it down with her palm, a wave of pure chaotic force overwhelming the nascent consciousness and forcing the pill back into its inert, golden, spherical form. She caught it deftly, feeling its immense, warm power pulsate in her hand. It was ready.
===
I was so nervous in this chapter. Aishh..
I mean I didn't know what kind of curse is Zhexian was.
LOL
That must be so funny. Su Min initial build literally perfectly countering them. If she didn't pick Immortality as her talent or Heavenly Dao Insight as her Innate Divine Ability, she would never get her Chaos Physique, and survive that kind of curse.