"The gap between Divine Transformation cultivators is immense. Under normal circumstances, a mid-stage Divine Transformation cultivator would be enough to make an early-stage one despair."
Feeling the changes in her body, Su Min was slightly surprised. Clearly, the leap in power at the Divine Transformation stage was greater than she had imagined—though she had somewhat forgotten this fact after constantly battling terrifying foes.
However, this fundamental change didn't occupy her thoughts for long. Instead, her mind turned to another matter—the Dao Comprehension stage.
To reach the Dao Comprehension stage, one had to comprehend their own unique Dao Law. The strength of this law directly determined one's combat power, but achieving it was far from simple.
In the game, there were specific ways to obtain it—primarily through time. For example, to walk the path of Slaughter, one had to engage in endless battles. The White Tiger's legacy followed this route.
But merely qualifying for a path didn't mean Su Min wanted it. There was only one Dao she sought—Time.
The Dao of Time was the most formidable and mysterious in the game. Under normal circumstances, obtaining it was nearly impossible—because to wear the crown, one had to bear its weight.
To comprehend it, one had to endure the rapid passage of time. In other words, one needed infinite lifespan—and had to be at the Divine Transformation stage, as the Heavenly Dao suppressed Dao Laws beyond this level.
But that was only the first hurdle. The second was the sheer time investment. One had to sit in meditation, enduring the passage of millennia.
In the game, this led to a "failure mode"—where the world would be consumed before one could succeed. The only way to obtain it was through cheats.
But reality had no cheats.
Yet Su Min had one tool left—the Medicine King's Cauldron.
Now that she had reached mid-stage Divine Transformation, she could sense the emptiness of the Dao. She knew she had to prepare for the Dao Comprehension stage—at least find her path. Once she reached the Divine Transformation peak, she could extend further into the Half-Step Dao Comprehension stage. At this level, one could only sense the Dao, not wield its power.
The Dao Comprehension Pill worked similarly—it brought one closer to the Dao Law, unlike the earlier Divine Transformation Pill or Nascent Soul Pill.
"I still have time. Medicine King's Cauldron, come forth!"
With a thought, the cauldron materialized before her. The cauldron could only be used to nurture herbs—not for cultivation via time acceleration. Its unique properties caused the mind and body to desynchronize. But for Su Min, this was the perfect opportunity. Experiencing the rapid flow of time within it would allow her to perfectly comprehend her Dao.
~
"What are you planning?"
The cauldron's voice was calm as it emerged from Su Min's body. It had been thriving inside her—Innate Spiritual Treasure needed specific conditions to evolve, and none had been as favorable as Su Min's body.
With two Innate Spiritual Treasure already inside her, it was only waiting for the third—the Central Wutu Divine Earth—to ascend further.
"I need your help."
Su Min's tone was firm. The cauldron had enjoyed enough benefits—now it was time to contribute. Though she had harvested many herbs from it, that didn't matter. Its purpose was to nurture life—Su Min's harvesting actually accelerated the ecological cycle within.
"What do you want?"
The cauldron was puzzled. As a Innate Spiritual Treasure, it had no combat power. The only reason it had trapped that Divine Transformation cultivator before was due to the Alchemist's constructed secret realm, where it held absolute authority.
Outside, it was useless—Su Min would have to physically capture and throw enemies inside, which was impractical.
"I need you to help me comprehend the Dao of Time."
"!!!"
The cauldron trembled violently. If it had a human form, its eyes would be bulging. To it, this was suicide. How much lifespan did she think she had to burn? Even the Alchemist Emperor it once served wouldn't dare attempt this!
But Su Min wasn't waiting for permission.
"My physique is special—don't worry. Maximize the time flow once I enter. I need to experience the passage of time."
There was no shortcut to the Dao of Time—only enduring its rapid flow and hoping to comprehend it before aging to death. Not even Yao Xian'er could achieve this. In theory, she had one chance to comprehend a second Dao Law, but Su Min didn't know the details.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
Seeing her determination, the cauldron didn't argue further. It opened its entrance. Su Min had lived for centuries—she wasn't reckless. Though the cauldron didn't understand her plan, her track record spoke for itself.
In a flash, Su Min entered.
With her immortal body and the cauldron's assistance, she had no reason to choose any other method. Moreover, the Divine Transformation stage was a watershed—only beyond it could the true power of her immortality and Heavenly Dao Insight manifest.
That power was the ability to comprehend unique and supreme Daos.
After all, once one truly entered the Dao Comprehension stage, the Dao Law became the most critical component of combat strength.
Creatures like the Three-Legged Golden Crow and Five-Clawed Divine Dragon were born with complete Dao Laws inherited in their bloodlines—an advantage humans couldn't match.
But their laws were fixed—none could reach the heights of the Dao of Time.
~
"Begin. To witness the Dao through time, one must walk its path."
Taking a deep breath, Su Min closed her eyes. Inside the cauldron, time accelerated to its maximum. Though it couldn't match the energy of a full secret realm, the surroundings still transformed at a visible pace.
Flowers bloomed and withered. Life and death cycled in moments.
Su Min sat cross-legged, sensing everything.
Her Heavenly Dao Insight now displayed its most terrifying effect—amidst the rapid flow of time, she faintly grasped something.
A force that surged like lightning, yet flickered in and out of existence.
~
While Su Min immersed herself in the river of time, unrest brewed elsewhere. Before an ancient tomb, three withered figures sat in silence.
"It's been decades since the Lunar Princess entered. She hasn't emerged—could she have already reached the Dao Comprehension stage?"
"All because you failed to kill her cleanly last time, letting her escape inside!"
"Relax. Even if she reaches Dao Comprehension, it changes nothing. Over these decades, I've laid hundreds of formations around this place. She'll die the moment she steps out!"
"Don't underestimate her. She's closely tied to that woman. Anyone who can defeat a Spirit Dao Body must be handled carefully."
"You might not know, but without guidance in these snow plains, even a Mahayana expert would get lost."
"I want her Lunar Sovereign Blood."
"Her Lunar Sovereign Bones are mine."
"Then I'll take her flesh. Consuming her will restore the three of us to our peak—Dao Comprehension perfection. Then we can lure out that woman and kill her together. But we must stay far from Eastern Mulberry Continent."
"That Golden Crow is dangerous. The three of us would struggle against her unless we reach the Unity stage."
"Obviously. Hmm—?"
Suddenly, the three froze.
Black mist seeped from the tomb's entrance.
~
Inside the cauldron realm, Su Min's eyes snapped open.
A sharp pulse vibrated against her finger—the jade token Yao Xian'er had given her was glowing fiercely, its light cutting through the misty air.
"The Evil Soul... it's stirring?"
Her pupils narrowed.
Outside, the world remained silent. But that glow was proof enough—something had shifted within the tomb.
"My comprehension is progressing well—I've half-stepped into the Dao of Time. But fully grasping it will take much longer. This attempt must have burned at least two thousand years of lifespan—and that's with my Heavenly Dao Insight aiding me. Without it, even this half-step would've taken tens of thousands of years."
She was exhilarated by her progress. Now, she could even lightly wield the power of the Dao. Other Half-Step Dao Comprehension experts didn't use their incomplete Daos—they were near-useless.
But the Dao of Time was different.
It surpassed almost all other laws.
Most cultivators chose simple Daos aligned with their innate attributes—because comprehending a Dao Law at the Divine Transformation stage was already brutally difficult. Every Half-Step Dao Comprehension expert Su Min had encountered followed this pattern. Their Daos lacked active abilities, merely amplifying their techniques.
But Time was different.
It wasn't an attribute—it couldn't enhance skills. Instead, it belonged to the rarest category of conceptual laws, standing at the pinnacle of all Daos.
Time and Space—the two supreme laws.
Unfortunately, Su Min had no leads on Space. So Time was her only choice.
"First, those three old monsters." Her voice was low. Calm. But a thin layer of frost glazed over her killing intent. "Since they want to ambush Yingying. Then let them bear the consequences."
Her eyes glinted coldly as she gripped the token. The Evil Soul inside the tomb was only showing signs of awakening—it would take years to fully emerge. For cultivators, that was a blink of an eye. But to Su Min, it was a window. One she didn't intend to waste.
Exiting her seclusion, she shot through the snow plains like a comet. In her hand, the last drop of Lunar Sovereign Blood Essence hovered. She wouldn't use it—with three divine treasures already in her body, its benefits were limited.
But it could serve as a beacon.
Yao Xian'er's token was for direct teleportation into the tomb—usable anywhere, but not as a guide. The Evil Soul was no ordinary foe. It contained the hatred of a peak Mahayana expert. Even a Unity-stage cultivator would die facing it—let alone a Divine Transformation like her.
Thus, Su Min couldn't afford any variables.
Not now.
Not with Xie Yingying inside that tomb.
In her current state, dealing with three Half-Step Dao Comprehension experts wasn't an issue. Even if they restored their peak Dao Comprehension strength, it wouldn't matter. Their self-severed paths were flawed. Even at their peak, their Dao Laws would remain crippled.
How to repair them? Su Min didn't know.
But from her game knowledge, most Fallen Ones chose a simple method—devouring.
Consuming lives to overwrite their original Daos with a Dao of Bloody Slaughter. They were the enemies of all living beings. Now, despite being only Divine Transformation, Su Min traversed the snow plains in an instant. Soon, she arrived at her destination—a majestic palace.
Three shadowy figures lurked in the blizzard.
Even with her senses suppressed, their stench of decay was unmistakable.