"Whew..."
Looking at the thoroughly dead Fallen One, Su Min let out a quiet sigh of relief. At her current strength, dealing with these half-step Dao Comprehension Stage beings was still quite difficult. Of course, "difficult" was a far cry from her pre-Divine Transformation days when her only option had been to flee.
"My spiritual energy is nearly depleted. Even with those pills, forcing out an attack powerful enough to burst that guy's limits as an early-stage Divine Transformation cultivator was pushing it."
Descending unsteadily from the sky, Su Min wasn't in a hurry to withdraw the Golden Crow Ancient Bell.
This was the perfect opportunity to recover. While she appeared uninjured, the self-detonation-like attack had still taken its toll. Fortunately, with her Holy Body now unlocked in three attributes, she could endure the backlash.
But "endurable" was relative—right now, she was thoroughly battered.
The Golden Crow Ancient Bell was her best protective barrier, allowing her to recover safely inside. After all, this Fallen One wasn't the only one out there. Getting ambushed in her weakened state would be disastrous.
At least in the game, once players reached this stage, Fallen Ones would ambush them in the wild. Of course, Dao Comprehension Stage Fallen Ones weren't a major threat to Su Min now—if things got too dangerous, she could always flee.
Three days later...
"The residual pill effects have completely cleared. At my current strength, taking on half-step Dao Comprehension Fallen Ones is still too much. To kill them, I have to force them into a fight to the death."
This battle had given Su Min a clear measure of the gap between her and half-step Dao Comprehension experts. While her combat power was formidable, outright killing them wasn't easy. This guy had simply been too confident in his abilities, letting her exploit a fatal opening. A drawn-out fight would have taken far longer.
The lesson was clear: "never reveal your trump cards carelessly, or you'd give your enemy an opening". Just like today, when she'd blindsided him with an explosion from within.
It was safe to say this Fallen One had never encountered an early-stage Divine Transformation cultivator like Su Min. Her ability to detonate three Possessions was still unknown—even during the Sect Tournament, no one had forced her to use it. He'd had no way of anticipating it.
"Might as well stall for a few more days. Battles like this can drag on for two or three days, followed by a day or two of recovery. No need to rush—let the world think I'm just barely scraping by."
With that thought, Su Min settled into a meditative pose. But while she remained calm, the outside world was in an uproar.
The skies above the Southern Borderlands were now crowded with powerhouses. The immortal sects' representatives, Elder Zhu, and the Peacock King—two late-stage Divine Transformation experts—had gathered. This lineup surpassed what most sects could muster. As for how the Peacock King had reached late-stage Divine Transformation, the answer was simple:
The day Su Min refined the Spirit Transformation Pill, it had been delivered overnight. After consuming it, he'd smoothly advanced. Now, with the Peacock King—another late-stage Divine Transformation expert—joining forces, dealing with a half-step Dao Comprehension Fallen One wasn't impossible.
"What is Lady Su doing? Why hasn't she released the barrier yet?"
Elder Zhu stared uneasily at the colossal Golden Crow Bell spanning the heavens. This was a former Dao Comprehension Stage expert they were dealing with—Su Min facing him alone seemed unwise.
He'd already sent a mental message urging her to release the barrier so they could gang up on the enemy. But she hadn't responded, leaving him deeply unsettled.
As a Divine Transformation expert who'd joined the immortal sects under Su Min, his loyalty was tied to her alchemical prowess. Though he'd reached late-stage Divine Transformation, the Dao Comprehension Stage felt impossibly distant. A single Dao Comprehension Pill could change that.
But if something happened to Su Min, his hopes would vanish.
"No need to worry. Lady Su's combat power rivals our young mistress's at the same stage. She must be confident in this fight. We're just here as backup."
Unlike Elder Zhu, the Peacock King was utterly calm. Even she held Su Min in awe.
"Is that so?"
Elder Zhu glanced at the stunningly beautiful woman in blue-green robes and sighed, dropping the matter.
This was a rare divine beast—a peacock. Though they shared the same cultivation level, in a real fight, he'd be crushed. If she was this confident, he'd trust her judgment.
"Have your people evacuate this area temporarily. If Lady Su can't handle it, even the three of us working together would spell disaster for the local creature."
Elder Zhu's tone toward the yellow-robed old man beside him carried a hint of command.
"Rest assured, Senior Bamboo and I have already relocated everyone in the vicinity."
The old man—Cao Yuzhou, ancestor of the Great Yong imperial family—spoke with cautious deference. At late-stage Golden Core, just a step away from Nascent Soul, he'd never cross that threshold.
The only imperial clansman with Nascent Soul potential was currently training with the immortal sects.
Facing the sect that had effectively founded Great Yong, Cao Yuzhou had no choice but to be respectful. The power gap was insurmountable—their sect boasted not just Divine Transformation experts but over a dozen Nascent Soul cultivators. A mere flick of their fingers could erase Great Yong from existence.
While mortal emperors enjoyed karmic protection—deterring most cultivators from attacking them—it wasn't absolute. If the immortal sects truly wanted Great Yong gone, they could dispatch cultivators to dismantle the kingdom city by city, severing its karmic ties.
It'd be troublesome, but not impossible. That's why every dynasty needed a powerful backer—to call for aid if enemies tried this very tactic.
Of course, if a dynasty was beyond saving, even a hundred methods couldn't salvage it.
"As per our master's orders, we've cleared the area."
Another elder arrived, bowing respectfully to Elder Zhu, who acknowledged him with slightly more courtesy.
Great Yong's imperial family hadn't interacted with Su Min in centuries—those she'd known were long dead. But this elder was different—he was essentially Su Min's pet.
His foundation had been built using her discarded pill residues, and even his cultivation path had been arranged by her.
As the saying went, "When you hit a dog, you must consider its master." So Elder Zhu showed some respect to this bamboo spirit. Of course, the evacuation order had indeed come from Su Min—she'd instructed it as soon as the battle began.
"If there's still no news in another day, we'll forcibly dismantle the Golden Crow Ancient Bell."
Elder Zhu addressed the Peacock King, eyeing the bell that towered thousands of meters high. If Su Min was in real danger, they'd have to intervene.
"Agreed."
The Peacock King nodded. With the little Golden Crow and the Azure Dragon King in seclusion, she was the decision-maker now. Had a Golden Crow been controlling the bell, they'd have been powerless—the clan held supreme authority over it. But now, things were different.
DONG!!!
Just as they finalized their plan, a resonant chime echoed across the land. The colossal bell shrank rapidly before vanishing entirely, leaving only a young woman in light blue robes floating in the sky.
"Lady Su, where's the enemy?"
"Dead. Utterly annihilated."
Su Min's casual reply made Elder Zhu gulp. Against such an opponent, without the Golden Crow Ancient Bell, his only option would've been flight.
Yet Su Min hadn't even relied on external tools—she'd merely used the bell as an arena for their duel to the death.
Shaking his head, Elder Zhu let it go. The terror Su Min inspired was well-known. After the Sect Tournament, her reputation had spread across the world—an early-stage Divine Transformation cultivator defeating a half-step Dao Comprehension expert.
Now, in all the world, save for a handful of Dao Comprehension Stage powerhouses, Su Min had few equals.
"This junior, Cao Yuzhou, pays respects to the immortal sects' founder. My great-grandfather was Cao Yuanmu."
"Oh?"
Su Min blinked, then studied the yellow-robed elder. His features bore some resemblance to that man.
Though the timeline didn't quite match, given cultivators' longevity, gaps of centuries between generations weren't unusual. In some clans, the oldest "ancestor" might even be an infant compared to millennia-old elders.
Thus, cultivation society prioritized strength over bloodline seniority.
"I see..."
Su Min said flatly.
Her tone was neither warm nor cold—simply neutral, like mist sliding past stone. The old man's eager smile faltered, and after a brief, respectful nod, he withdrew.
She didn't stop him. There was no warmth to offer. What would be the point? That line of history had long grown faint. No matter how many descendants bowed at her feet, none could turn the past into something living again.
But her gaze softened slightly at the presence of the other elder.
A bamboo demon. Slender, tall, quiet in aura—the kind of being often overlooked. She had nearly missed him entirely.
Plant demons were notoriously slow to cultivate, especially bamboo. In the past, she had simply scattered some spiritual seeds in a quiet glade, more out of curiosity than intent. She'd expected some might reach Foundation Establishment. Golden Core? Full sentience?
That had felt like a fantasy.
"Only you remain?"
"Yes," the bamboo demon said with quiet melancholy. "The others perished near Foundation Establishment."
Of course. Bamboo, unlike trees, didn't live long even in the mortal world. A century at best. In this realm, that lifespan was stretched—but not indefinitely.
Su Min was silent for a moment.
She had nearly forgotten them. Just a flicker of effort from her centuries ago—and yet this one had survived. Not because of her. Because he endured.
That realization hit softly, like snow gathering on a windowpane. Quiet. Inevitable.
After a long breath, she said, "Thank you. For watching over this place."
The bamboo demon lowered his head. "It was a quiet duty."
And with that, Su Min prepared to leave. She had recovered her strength, tied up her obligations. There was nothing left for her here.
Besides...
"Lady Su," one of the attendants said, hurriedly approaching. "There are reports—unusual activity in the Tianhan Snow Plains."
Su Min halted mid-step. Her gaze sharpened immediately.
"The Tianhan Snow Plains?"
Su Min's eyes narrowed. The Tianhan Snow Plains were vast—a perpetually frozen land rivaling the combined size of the four continents. Xie Yingying had gone there and hadn't returned, which worried Su Min.
If not for this Fallen One's sudden appearance, she'd have headed there long ago. The delay was merely a few months—a blink for beings with their longevity.
"Something seems to have emerged there. Three Fallen Ones are reportedly lying in wait to ambush cultivators heading there. As for Lady Xie's situation, it's..."
"Understood."
Su Min's gaze turned icy. Without hesitation, she addressed the two powerhouses:
"I'll leave this place to you. I'm heading to the Tianhan Snow Plains."
After brief instructions, she transformed into a streak of light and vanished, leaving behind an envious Elder Zhu.
He truly admired Su Min's freedom to come and go as she pleased. But the thought of facing three Fallen Ones sent chills down his spine—his fragile body wasn't cut out for that.
The Peacock King said nothing. With the other two in seclusion, she had to guard the Eastern Mulberry Continent.
As for Su Min, she crossed the entirety of Wei-Wu Continent in under an hour. But the Tianhan Snow Plains were still far away—a true forbidden zone, where temperatures never rose above -40°C.
In eras of sparse spiritual energy, few lifeforms could survive there.
But now, things were different. Extreme environments bred unique resources—countless materials ideal for ice-attribute cultivation grew there.
However, entering required at least Golden Core strength. Beyond the cold, terrifying ice storms—more like spiritual disasters than earthly weather—could shred the unprepared instantly.
But for Su Min, now at Divine Transformation, this was no issue. Moreover, ice was an extension of water—with her constitution, the cold meant nothing. But she knew well: it wasn't the cold she feared.
It was the silence.
Because somewhere in that frozen desolation...
Xie Yingying was waiting.
Or worse—she wasn't.
And for Su Min, who had long sealed her heart to everyone but one—
That was the only kind of cold she still feared.