"Huff—"
For a moment, the air in the entire world seemed to freeze. That man was a genuine fifth-rank high-level alchemist, so no one dared to question his words. Yet, this very fact made the situation all the more shocking.
A sixth-rank alchemist—even a simple healing pill refined by one would be enough to stir the hearts of countless Nascent Soul cultivators. After all, such a pill could save lives in critical moments, and no one would ever turn down such a treasure.
In an instant, many Nascent Soul cultivators present began to scheme. This pill was incredibly tempting to them, and Su Min was clearly capable of refining far more than just this one.
"Everything fell into place naturally—no issues at all."
Looking at the pill in her hand, Su Min stored it in her bag. Then, with a flick of her wrist, dozens of medicinal herbs appeared in her palm. These were the materials for the assessment, and this time, she was confident.
"She's starting the assessment!"
Seeing those herbs, the Nascent Soul alchemist exclaimed in surprise.
"Assessment?"
Hearing his words, everyone present—including Kong Hui—was curious. Since they weren't alchemists and couldn't enter the secret realm, they could only observe their actions but couldn't receive any messages.
Thus, they were equally curious about the assessment's contents.
"The sixth-rank pill—Flesh and Bone Restoration Pill. To my shame, I failed three times in a row and lost my qualification."
The man smiled bitterly. Clearly, he had been kicked out. After all, as a Nascent Soul cultivator, he wasn't suited to linger inside.
"Hmm."
Hearing this, the group's eyebrows twitched, but they said nothing.
Inside the secret realm, Su Min was surrounded by swirling flames as medicinal herbs entered the cauldron one after another. Drops of medicinal essence began to condense. The difficulty of refining sixth-rank herbs was at least ten times that of fifth-rank ones. The sheer number of ingredients alone would make most fifth-rank alchemists' heads spin. But for Su Min, it was child's play.
After the fourth rank, every major breakthrough was a massive threshold. Many people might be stuck there for their entire lives, unable to progress further. At this moment, everyone in the hall was observing Su Min's alchemy. Many alchemists, including the Nascent Soul cultivator, widened their eyes, not daring to miss a single detail. Watching a high-rank alchemist at work was a rare opportunity—for them, it was a stroke of fortune.
Su Min's movements didn't pause. A day later, when she opened her eyes again, a perfectly round pill flew out of the cauldron.
The Flesh and Bone Restoration Pill—successfully refined.
In that instant, Su Min vanished from everyone's sight, leaving them stunned.
"Huh?!"
The entire hall erupted in noise. Only Kong Hui and the old monk from the Lamp-Bearing Ancient Temple exchanged a glance. They had already guessed—Su Min had obtained the inheritance of the ancient enlightened one. Inside the secret realm, the moment the pill was completed, an ancient, small cauldron descended from the sky and landed before Su Min.
This was the second Innate Spiritual Treasure she had encountered.
"Disaster approaches. The chosen one shall rise to face the calamity. The Buddha once told me that the one who surpasses me is the chosen one. I do not know if you are willing, but you have already set foot on this path."
"The chosen one..."
Hearing this, Su Min's brows furrowed deeply. She knew what this meant. The impending cataclysm—if the players failed to stand against it, this world would be destroyed. Even she wouldn't be able to escape unscathed. As for the so-called "chosen one," that wasn't something Su Min needed to worry about. Without hesitation, she bit her finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the cauldron.
Sizzle—
In the next moment, a special connection formed between her and the cauldron. The latter slowly rose and flew into Su Min's chest.
"The Medicine King's inheritance now resides within you. As your strength grows, it will gradually unlock. My spiritual awareness is not particularly strong, so do not disturb my slumber unless necessary. As for the herbs inside this cauldron, you may take them as you please."
"Understood."
Su Min nodded. Her gains this time were already perfect. But then, she remembered something else.
"What about the Water-Land Dharma Assembly now that you're gone?"
"This was always a special mechanism. My task was to find a successor. From now on, there may no longer be an alchemist's assessment, but everything else will proceed as usual."
"That's fine."
As she spoke, rays of light began to shimmer around Su Min. In an instant, she disappeared from the secret realm. But when Su Min awoke again, she was slightly taken aback by the way everyone was looking at her—with respect, flattery, and envy.
The reason was obvious. However, her focus wasn't on them. Instead, she narrowed her eyes and scanned the surroundings. To her surprise, the people from the Future Bliss Mountain were gone—Liao Jie's seat was empty.
"Congratulations, Benefactor Su, for claiming the top honor."
Kong Hui walked over with a smile, but he quickly noticed Su Min's confusion and added:
"The people from Future Maitreya Mountain have been driven away by me. However, you must be careful. With the Golden Crow Emperor guarding your sect, they won't dare attack directly. But remember—they excel at divination and may strike at you in special places."
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there."
Su Min wasn't overly concerned. What was destined to come would come—there was no avoiding it. Besides, given enough time, she alone would be capable of wiping out Future Maitreya Mountain. After all, those people would eventually ally with the fallen and the remnants of immortals, becoming the players' ultimate enemies.
"Benefactor, would you—"
"No need. I've been away for too long—it's time for me to return. They won't catch me."
With that, Su Min silently recited an incantation, causing Kong Hui to pause. Clearly, he recognized what she was using. If he wanted to interrupt, he could have done so at any time.
Shrinking the Earth to an Inch required several seconds of stationary incantation. It was useful for travel but not for escape. However, this was a technique unique to the Great Thunder Temple. He had no idea how Su Min had comprehended it. But since things had come to this, he let her go.
In the next moment, Su Min vanished, leaving behind a crowd of dumbfounded onlookers. They had wanted to flatter and befriend her, but she had left just like that. All eyes turned to Kong Hui, demanding to know where Su Min had gone.
"Amitabha. Benefactor Su has returned to the Eastern Sea Immortal Sect. If you wish to seek her, go there."
With that, Kong Hui closed his eyes and spoke no more. The crowd's expressions flickered, but they said nothing. After all, this was an Enlightenment-phase cultivator. If he didn't want to speak further, it was best not to press.
Su Min had already completed her task for them, securing first place in the alchemy segment of the Water-Land Dharma Assembly. As for the remaining highlight—the distribution of resources from the Buddhist Light Secret Realm—that was beyond Su Min's involvement.
Moreover, the rewards they offered were incredibly generous. Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree—this was an exceedingly rare opportunity. Meanwhile, after leaving the grand ceremony, Su Min used Shrinking the Earth to an Inch repeatedly. In just a week, she returned to her sect's territory on the mainland.
However, the moment she stepped inside, she froze—Xie Yingying's aura was nowhere to be found.
"Greetings, Grand Elder!!!"
A group of disciples rushed forward and bowed respectfully.
"Tian Yinzi, where is Yingying?"
After a quick glance, Su Min asked in confusion.
"The Second Grand Elder sensed something extraordinary emerging in the extreme northern frozen lands not long ago. Since it resonated with her, she entrusted the sect to us and left."
"What about the Xuantian Mansion?"
"It's still on East Mulberry Island."
"I see. It seems she has her own destiny to fulfill."
Su Min didn't press further. The path of cultivation was long, and it wasn't unusual for a Golden Core Formation cultivator to leave for a century in search of opportunities. Since Xie Yingying hadn't waited for her, it meant either the place wasn't suitable for Su Min or something even more important had arisen.
"This humble one greets Lady Su."
At that moment, another familiar aura approached—Lu Yuanxing, the man who had followed her during the Golden Core Avenue and later brought his entire family to join her. He was now the one overseeing things here.
"Lu Yuanxing, how have you handled the affairs of the four provinces?"
"All evil has been purged. The people of the four provinces now submit to our sect."
"You've done well. Take this Soul Restoration Pill as your reward."
Su Min nodded and glanced at Tian Yinzi, who showed no objection. She then took out a pill and handed it to Lu Yuanxing.
"Thank you, Lady Su!"
Lu Yuanxing was overjoyed. Bringing his entire family to serve Su Min had been for precisely this kind of reward. Over the years, he had given his all. Having followed Su Min for so long, he knew her temperament—she was practically benevolent, averse to unnecessary killing. Unless thoroughly provoked, she rarely resorted to lethal force. Even when she held a grudge, she usually settled it with a beating at most.
Thus, he had adopted a gentle approach—though when it came to making an example, he hadn't hesitated to kill.
"By the way, the Azure Dragon asked me to inform you that the Source of Weak Water will appear in three years. You must prepare."
"Hmm."
Su Min's eyes narrowed. So that was why Xie Yingying hadn't waited—their crucial opportunities had appeared simultaneously.
"I wonder which of us will be stronger the next time we meet."
The thought made her smile. No matter how strong one's combat prowess was, cultivation level mattered—it determined lifespan.